The Republicans will decide this Monday, July 28: their candidate for the legislative by-election in Paris's 2nd constituency must be officially nominated by the National Investiture Commission (CNI) at 17 p.m. Two party figures are clashing behind the scenes: Michel Barnier, supported by Bruno Retailleau, and Rachida Dati, who continues to threaten a dissident candidacy.
The former Prime Minister declared his candidacy in mid-July, a few days after the invalidation of the outgoing Macronist MP Jean Laussucq. He enjoys the open support of the party president and a recently recomposed National Council, whose majority favors the Retailleau camp. But this rapid announcement angered the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, who did not appreciate the method and denounced it as an instrumentalization aimed at hindering her ambitions for the Paris mayoralty.
A decision with serious consequences eight months before the municipal elections
A meeting took place Sunday between Barnier, Dati, and Retailleau in the hope of avoiding a fratricidal clash. But positions remain tense. While Barnier is officially the favorite, Dati maintains strong local roots and the support of Parisian elected officials like Jean-Pierre Lecoq, mayor of the 6th arrondissement, who is calling for a balanced solution and clear recognition of his legitimacy for City Hall.
While the left hopes to take advantage of the divisions on the right to repeat its surprise result from last year, and Thierry Mariani is launching a campaign for the RN, this Monday's nomination could determine not only the outcome of the legislative elections, but also the unity of the LR in view of the municipal elections.
