Suddenly, he freezes in the center of the communal hall of Châteauneuf-du-Faou, which overlooks the Aulne, this river which winds through Finistère. On the floor worn by fans of Breton dances, Richard Ferrand turns on himself to observe the 150 people who have come to listen to him, the President of the National Assembly and deputy for the sixth constituency of Finistère. Here, in the heart of his Breton stronghold as at the Palais-Bourbon, he assumes to be the messenger of the Head of State, Emmanuel Macron, in the race for the presidential election of April 10 and 24.
This Saturday, March 19, the deputy takes a look at his files, then resumes his speech. The balance sheet, details on the program – in particular on the postponement of the retirement age to 65, the promise of an exercise of power as close as possible to the citizens, a handful of local anecdotes… “These days, it’s not the time to have a “branque” as president. We have a good one. When you have Zidane in your team, there’s no need to go looking for Domenech, s’amuse Richard Ferrand. Today, the president needs you because France needs him! » Loud applause from the audience. ” Mister President “as it is called here, sits down, satisfied.
Beyond the balance sheet of the Head of State, it is also his that he defends, a few weeks before the legislative elections of June 12 and 19. Because when he is not in the Assembly, the fourth character of the State plows his constituency. This local anchorage earned him the esteem of Emmanuel Macron. It is no coincidence that the candidate for his re-election chose Finistère, Tuesday, April 5, for his fifth campaign trip. The first parliamentarian to join it in 2016, the former socialist deputy fomented the En Marche movement! and led the 2017 legislative elections. Again at the heart of this presidential campaign, Richard Ferrand, 59, is responsible for leading the negotiations around the nominations for the 2022 legislative elections. “He’s the only one who was able to put [François] Bayrou and [Edouard] Philippe around the same table”blows the president of the macronist group in the Senate, François Patriat. “We only have one like him, we need ten, admires Gilles Le Gendre, former boss of the deputies La République en Marche (LRM). He has conquered an impregnable position. »
Socialist leaning Aubry
In Châteauneuf-du-Faou, no one doubts it. Starting with the seven other deputies of the department seated in the first row. Everyone knows the formula, erected into a mantra by Richard Ferrand: “Venial sin: abstention. Mortal sin: vote against. » At his statement, the President of the National Assembly smiled. “We need a homogeneity of thought and collective discipline. Majority rule is the rule for all. I don’t know any other way to be a democrat”, says Mr. Ferrand. About forty disappointed people left the LRM group during the legislature. An unprecedented erosion under the Ve Republic for a majority group. Some still reproach him today for his « distance » and his “disinterest” vis-à-vis its elected officials, but also its mania for relying on a restricted circle of deputies, in particular Bretons.
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