In a surprising turn of events, Dominique Faure, the Minister for Communities and Rural Affairs, withdrew her candidacy for the legislative elections in the 10th constituency of Haute-Garonne. The move comes after Faure initially declared his intention to stay in the three-way race on Monday. However, on Tuesday, she announced her withdrawal following requests from President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.
At the end of the first round, the socialist candidate Jacques Oberti, representing the New Popular Front, was in the lead with 36,24% of the votes. Caroline Falgas-Colomina of the National Rally (RN) followed with 30,37%, while Faure, the outgoing MP from the Radical Party, obtained 28,99%.
“The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister asked me to withdraw my candidacy in the second round. With complete confidence in their approaches to finding solutions for the benefit of our country, which finds itself in a very difficult situation, I am doing so today with responsibility,” Faure announced on X.
This decision is part of a broader strategy aimed at avoiding triangulars and preventing the RN from gaining ground. Faure's withdrawal supports Jacques Oberti, a well-established socialist locally and president of the Sicoval urban community, near Toulouse.
Gabriel Attal had urged the presidential camp candidates qualified in third position in triangulars to withdraw to block the far right. Initially, Faure resisted, citing his commitment to fighting extremes and the support of his 22 voters. She expressed her reluctance to force her supporters to choose between the RN and candidates allied to La France Insoumise (LFI).
Pressure for her to step down has intensified, notably from Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party, who criticized her for risking allowing the RN to take power. Patrick Kanner, president of the PS group in the Senate, also urged Faure to put aside his personal pride and support democratic forces against the RN.
Ultimately, Faure's decision to step down underscores a strategic maneuver aimed at consolidating democratic votes and preventing the far right from gaining ground in the Haute-Garonne constituency.
