Bruno Retailleau, leader of Les Républicains, calls for an autonomous line for the party amid temptations of alliance with the far right. He urges the right to avoid a trap set by the left since Mitterrand. A recent case in Tarn-et-Garonne highlights internal tensions.
Bruno Retailleau is seeking to rebuild an autonomous line for Les Républicains (LR), but he struggles to silence voices demanding clarification on the party's strategy. Questioned on the political line, he urges the right not to fall into an old trap set by the left since the Mitterrand era, calling for general mobilization against the left.
Some suspect Retailleau of not wanting to block the Rassemblement national (RN). A concrete example occurred during a partial legislative election last October in Tarn-et-Garonne. The LR candidate did not reach the second round, leaving the matchup between a UDR candidate – the party of Éric Ciotti, ally of Marine Le Pen – and a socialist. “Not one voice for the left,” declared the LR president. Ultimately, the “ciottiste” candidate won.
This outcome elicited contrasting reactions. Socialist Olivier Faure sees it as the “fusion between the right and the far right.” Centrist Marc Fesneau questions Retailleau's call against blocking: “Never compromise with extremism!” These divisions highlight Les Républicains' dilemma: alliance with the center or union of the rights.