Les Républicains suspended six of their ministers on Wednesday, October 22, who joined the Sébastien Lecornu II government despite party instructions. The ministers involved, including Annie Genevard and Rachida Dati, had stepped back from their party roles while reaffirming their attachment to LR. This decision, voted at a political bureau meeting, divides the party between leadership and lawmakers.
The Les Républicains (LR) party announced on Wednesday, October 22, the suspension of six ministers from its ranks who joined or stayed in the «Lecornu II» government led by Sébastien Lecornu. These ministers – Annie Genevard (Agriculture), Rachida Dati (Culture), Philippe Tabarot (Transports), Vincent Jeanbrun (Housing), Sébastien Martin (Industry), and Nicolas Forissier (Foreign Trade) – defied the instructions of LR president Bruno Retailleau, who had advocated non-participation after his departure from the Interior Ministry following the formation of the first Lecornu government.
Earlier in the day, the six ministers stated they had «stepped back from all functions» within the party while reaffirming their «attachment» to LR. At an evening political bureau meeting, the suspension measure – proposed by secretary general Othman Nasrou – was approved by vote, without formal exclusion. An initial version of the communiqué referred to ministers who were «no longer members» of the party, a phrase quickly removed.
Several figures opposed it, including Jean-François Copé, Xavier Bertrand, and Laurent Wauquiez, head of the LR deputies. In a statement, LR justified the decision by noting that the government, «now under Emmanuel Macron's direct hand» and aligned with «a left-wing orientation,» would mean «renouncing the independence and convictions» of the party.
Vincent Jeanbrun sent a letter to Retailleau criticizing his «sudden choice to leave the government precipitously.» Retailleau, who plans to devote himself fully to LR and the Senate, had stated on Tuesday in Le Figaro that the budget project was «unvotable for the right.» The political bureau appointed Roger Karoutchi to replace Annie Genevard as head of the Nomination Commission, with Patrick Hetzel and Nadine Morano as vice-presidents.