Pierre-Yves Bournazel attacks Dati and reopens the battle for political change

In the small theater of the Parisian right wing, the curtains haven't even fallen yet, and the actors are already trading barbs. Pierre-Yves Bournazel responds sharply to Rachida Dati, who accuses him of "betrayal" after his withdrawal from the joint list, four days after the second round of the municipal elections. In an interview with Le Nouvel Obs, the Parisian elected official, supported at the time by Horizons and Renaissance, believes that the minister "is incapable of learning from her defeat" and demands that she "take responsibility" for the result. The tone is measured, but the barb is sharp.

A Parisian right wing settling scores, already looking ahead to 2026

Ultimately, Bournazel isn't just contesting a merger between the two rounds of voting; he's contesting a strategy. He argues that the context could have opened a window for change, citing the PLM electoral reform and a more favorable second-round scenario, with a possible three-way race and a fragmented left had the LFI candidate Sophia Chikirou remained in the race. His statement rings out like a political verdict: "Rachida Dati was not a solution, but a problem." And the attack continues, the former candidate asserting that she has "failed for the second time" and "wasted another seven years of political change," describing her as a "divisive and aggressive" figure, with a passing allusion to her upcoming trial.

There remains the very Parisian question of calculation and collective discipline. Bournazel insists he has no regrets, saying he acted "for the collective good," while conceding that he "certainly protected the interests" of Édouard Philippe's presidential candidacy, which amounts to admitting that in Paris, municipal elections are also played out on a national scale. While the right wing is still reeling from its losses, the capital awaits the formal election of its future mayor on Sunday, and Bournazel is already pushing forward with a concrete issue: after-school programs, shaken by sexual abuse scandals. Amidst the internal party squabbles, it is often these kinds of issues that ultimately catch up with everyone.