the party The Republicans lose a new member in favour of the presidential majority. After Édouard Philippe, Jean Castex, maire LR Prades (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), who was chosen to become Prime minister. In fact, the one who has been deputy secretary general of the Élysée under Nicolas Sarkozy has terminated his membership of the Republican Friday, July 3. An announcement greeted with fatalism in the party. "In fact, from the moment he enrolled in the policy conducted by Emmanuel Macron, obviously there is more to the Republicans," said the Agency France-Presse the president of LR, Christian Jacob.
Jean Castex, mep, former delegate to JO Paris 2024, already chosen by the executive to orchestrate the déconfinement, said Friday evening never to have been "a militant very active" and have been "unhappy" from the position of LR, Perpignan, which has enabled, among others, in the national Gathering to elect its candidate, " Louis Aliot.
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Bruno The Mayor, Gérald Darmanin...
The scenario is reminiscent of 2017, when Edouard Philippe, mayor LR, le Havre, had been chosen as head of government, initiating a leak of the elect to The Republic in march which has left the party stunned. Bruno Le Maire, the Economy, Gérald Darmanin to the public Accounts... "In terms of betrayal, it has already given," says Christian Jacob, who insists on the impossibility of any return to the fold of Édouard Philippe, who has "betrayed his family" policy. The operation will harm the party ? "I don't believe it," says number three Aurélien Pradié.
But for Camille Pascal, a close relative of Jean Castex questioned on Friday by France Info radio, " it's clear that the Republicans used to tank the policy Macron ", which borrows themes dear to the centre-right (health, age, economy....) for the second part of the quinquennium. Even today, LR is weakened by the siphon, even if the party is counting on its recent and intense background work to build a credible alternative on the horizon 2022. No question, therefore, of being trapped again. Christian Jacob insists on the fact that Jean Castex has never been a minister and is " not identified as of right ".
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LR, also points to the profile "technocratic" of the newly-promoted, in the face of a Emmanuel Macron has " the desire to be Jupiter ", according to the terms of the vice-president of the Assembly Annie Genevard. Finally, some attack frontally denouncing, as the number two in the party, Guillaume Peltier, " those who favour their career rather than their convictions ", or, as Aurélien Pradié, "the cowardice of politics" has become " commonplace ". But the right is afraid of other débauchages. "The president is going to open the bottin mondain, he will do his casting ", persifle Christian Jacob.
other defectors possible
If Aurélien Pradié has advance lambasted the "crazy" tempted to get on " the Titanic sinking ", the leader of the deputies LR Damien Abad has refused on Wednesday to a " policy dictates ". Other names of possible defectors are circulating, such as that of the mayor of Angers Christophe Béchu (ex-RL). The member of the european parliament Geoffroy Didier said he is "not a candidate" in Le Figaro. The poaching of Jean Castex, close to Xavier Bertrand, of which he has twice been director of the cabinet, could embarrass the right beyond LR.
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His appointment "has many benefits for Macron" and "it is said that it can also annoy Xavier Bertrand," stresses the entourage of the ex boss-LR, Hauts-de-France, whose name is regularly cited to defend the colors of the right during the presidential election of 2022. Xavier Bertrand has also welcomed "the qualities of a servant of the State, Jean Castex, "which" will be needed in the difficult times that we will know ". The other potential candidate of the right, the patron saint of the region of Île-de-France Valérie Pécresse (ex-RL) has also congratulated the new minister, wishing " that it reflects a shift of policy ".
