Bruno Retailleau, president of Les Républicains, is navigating a challenging period since leaving the government, highlighted by internal divisions over the social security budget. Eighteen deputies from the Droite républicaine group, led by Laurent Wauquiez, voted in favor of the bill, sparking tensions with Retailleau. He plans to reflect on his 2027 presidential ambitions during the year-end holidays.
Bruno Retailleau, recently appointed president of Les Républicains (LR) after serving as Interior Minister, is facing a tough transition. A month after leaving Beauvau, a fire devastated his home, which he calls “infernal,” with soot that “seeps everywhere.” This metaphor also captures the party's internal rifts, described by some as “empty” and “ghostly.”
Tensions peaked over the social security budget. While Retailleau and Édouard Philippe, president of Horizons, urged their deputies to vote against it due to the suspension of pension reform, eighteen lawmakers from the Droite républicaine group, led by Laurent Wauquiez, supported the bill. Retailleau condemns “blackmail through chaos and instability” and states that the budget “cannot be the second round of the party election.”
Wauquiez's strategy baffles elected officials and members amid growing divergences with Retailleau. On the right, positions are “fragile and reversible,” as shown by the shifting stances of leaders in less than a year, driven by events. Retailleau, labeled as LR's right wing, plans to mature his Elysée ambitions during the holidays amid these multiplying challenges.
Gérard Larcher, LR president of the Senate, advocates using Article 49.3 to pass a budget, noting that “it is not the socialists alone who make France's budget.” These divisions highlight the instability on the right ahead of 2027.
