In the streets of Saint-André, the fifth most populated city in Réunion, one name comes up like a refrain: Virapoullé. The father, Jean-Paul, 81 years old, has stepped back since 2020 but leaves a rare mark, nearly 42 years at the town hall (1972-2008 then 2014-2020), a stint in the Assembly (1986-1997) and in the Senate (2001-2011).
This Sunday, March 15th, his two sons dominated the first round, neck and neck, almost to the millimeter. Laurent Virapoullé, 51, supported by the National Rally, came in second with 21,71% of the vote, just ahead of his older brother Jean-Marie, 56, center-right, with 20,8%. Ahead of them, the incumbent mayor, Joé Bédier, independent left, held the lead with 30,02%. The stage is set, as the reader can guess: this second round will hinge as much on the transfer of votes as on the local right wing's ability to overcome its internal strife.
A right-wing line split in two, a second round to be restructured.
The period between the two rounds of voting is shaping up to be a tight market where every word carries weight. Laurent Virapoullé has expressed his support for an "alliance," promising to discuss "without exclusion and without taboo" with those who want "change" in Saint-André. Jean-Marie Virapoullé also mentions "a phase of discussion" to prepare for the second round.
The equation is simple on paper: adding their scores could unseat Joé Bédier. But first, the arithmetic must be translated into momentum, and the old tensions must be overcome—the very tensions that proved costly in 2020 when Jean-Marie failed in the second round amidst divisions on the right. The doctor claims a "renewal" and denies being "an heir," while his brother, a business owner, insists he is not a "member of the National Rally" but displays more pronounced political markers, such as the abolition of the overseas tax, and reminds everyone that he got involved not to "remain a spectator." Caught between family continuity and political rupture, Saint-André is preparing to arbitrate a succession that resembles less a passing of the torch than a poorly coordinated relay race, with the ultimate goal of reshaping the Réunion right wing, a force with a lot riding on this.
