In Paca, Marine Le Pen advocates work-study and targets Emmanuel Macron

From our journalist in the Var,

At the port of Brusc, things are hectic. Under a shy sun, a handful of activists eagerly scrutinize the arrival of black cars. Marine Le Pen goes downstairs all smiles, sporting an astonishing pair of sunglasses with tinted lenses. New step in the demonization of the party? “A problem with the eye”, she evacuates immediately. At his side, Thierry Mariani, head of the list supported by the RN for the regional in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur but not inserted, is more discreet in his black suit. Three days before the first round, the president of the movement comes to support in the Var the former Sarkozy minister, defector of LR, given the winner in front of the outgoing right-wing president, Renaud Muselier.

“The government organizes the abstention”, denounces Marine Le Pen

A café at the entrance to the market, a few selfies, and Marine Le Pen hits the spot. “This campaign will lead to a real work-study program. There is a lot to do, the region is under the direction of Monsieur Muselier, the donkey hat of the French regions! Thierry Mariani will offer excellence, ”she says. This Wednesday morning, the hamlet of Brusc has never worn its name so badly: nothing disturbs the tranquility of the marina. Marine Le Pen walks slowly between the stalls, distributes her leaflets to the curious, without ever being bothered, if it is not the swarm of cameras which surround her.

David Rachline, RN mayor of Fréjus, confides, aside. “We can take this region, but we have to mobilize. The arrival of Marine is important for this reason because it embodies our leadership and, in the minds of the people, it evokes the presidential election ”, assures the elected representative, wary of the abstention on June 20 and 27. “I call for the mobilization and I am struck to note that the government organizes the abstention, insists the president RN. Nothing was done to inform the French of this election, no clip, no specific information. I think they hope that abstention saves them, but they are wrong! “

“The puppeteer is Macron”

The trip to Paca is not trivial. The alliance between La République en Marche and Renaud Muselier, the outgoing LR president, makes it possible to directly attack the Head of State. “Right-wing voters understood that they were betrayed. The list has become more and more that of LREM “, slice Thierry Mariani, three hours later at a press conference in Toulon, which counts” 38 people who openly support Mr. Macron “. Marine Le Pen adds the formula: “The puppeteer is Macron. Monsieur Muselier is in the hands of Macron. This list is an electoral scam. “

The stakes are crucial for Marine Le Pen, who wants to make a possible regional victory a stepping stone for her presidential campaign next year. “Alternation is a necessity. This desire to implement another policy is felt everywhere. Paca is our greatest chance of victory, but other regions can be won. We are in the lead in six regions and the rest in second position ”, she assures us, while the party also has good hopes in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, in Hauts-de-France and in Center-Val de Loire. . “At the municipal level, we have demonstrated that we are doing a good job. Doing this on a larger scale would be a positive point and would undermine false incompetence trials, ”summarizes David Racheline.

But in 2015, the “republican fronts” had prevented the National Front of the time from winning a victory. By nationalizing the campaign, Marine Le Pen could once again lead to the constitution of these new anti-RN “roadblocks”, in Paca as in other regions. “This anti-National Rally front is helping to clarify the French political line. Instead of sneaking their punches, they do it in broad daylight! », She sweeps. But ten months before the presidential election, a new failure at the regional level would reveal the limits of its normalization strategy undertaken for several years.