One more step to signify his change of camp. The president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region, Renaud Muselier, a former member of the Republicans, will join the presidential party, Renaissance, ” early December “he told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday, November 29, confirming information from Provence and of Was-Matin. Mr. Muselier specified that he will join the executive office of the majority party.
The support of the local elected to the President of the Republic is not new. As early as February, Renaud Muselier had called for a vote for Emmanuel Macron in the presidential election, after leaving Les Républicains (LR) in November 2021, accusing his political family of a drift towards the far right.
“I had given myself time to make a decision by the end of the year on a national positioning”explained the regional president on Tuesday, assuring that he did not “not find in the words of the three candidates to the presidency of the right-wing party.
“The word ‘traitor’ has a new synonym”, tweets Eric Ciotti
In October, Renaud Muselier denounced “a race to the far right” of his former party and openly criticized the candidate Eric Ciotti for the presidency of the party, arguing that the latter had established a “political system of pressures and threats” in the Alpes-Maritimes.
In reaction to the decision of Mr. Muselier, the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes so tweeted mardi : “The word ‘traitor’ has a new synonym: Muselier. The dictionaries will integrate it very soon. Despicable and ridiculous…”.
Renaud Muselier had won the presidency of the PACA region in June 2021 by largely beating the candidate of the National Rally, Thierry Mariani, himself a former member of LR. Following his departure from LR, a few months later, he had set two criteria for his choice of a future party: “No compromise with the extremes and no ‘presidential stable'”supported his entourage.
“I would not have gone to the “walkers” [les membres du parti La République en marche, NDLR] because I couldn’t find myself there”assured Mr. Muselier on Tuesday, but “Renaissance is another political organization, which has integrated the result of the presidential election”.
No “national ambition”
The presidential party was renamed in May, a few days after the election of the head of state, and had touted its ” opening “ citizens and elected representatives of other parties. On this occasion was also created a confederation called Together!, with the MoDem, of François Bayrou, and the Horizons party, of Edouard Philippe, with a view to the legislative elections. The name change of the party was then formalized in September, during a congress at the Carrousel du Louvre, where Mr. Muselier was present.
Within Renaissance, Renaud Muselier wishes “to comfort [sa] region “ et “Helping the country move forward”but he claims to have no« ambition nationale ». “I feel free and I will remain free”he added.
He had also launched in July a regional party called “Cap sur l’avenir-Our territories first”, calling for the gathering of all “the Democratic and Republican arc” after the legislative elections, in which the far right won half of the constituencies in this region of southern France. This party “continues to exist”assures those around him.