We knew the “republican front” against the National Rally. But before the second round of regional, next Sunday, the right is trying to build another dam. Christian Jacob asked on Monday
“Withdrawal from the presidential majority lists” by Marc Fesneau, François de Rugy and Denis Thuriot to avoid the coming to power “of the extreme left” in three regions: Pays de la Loire, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Center-Val-de-Loire.
“There is a risk of governance with teams of the far left or extremist Greens in a certain number of regions”, justified the President of the Republicans, after a Strategic Council of the party. The attack targets certain candidates from Europe Ecology-The Greens or from rebellious France, allied to the PS for the second round.
Mélenchon, scarecrow of the right… and of the left?
This Tuesday, at the National Assembly, the boss of the LR group Damien Abad also asked for the withdrawal of the LREM lists in these regions. “The republican front cannot be of variable geometry, extremism also exists on the left,” said the deputy for Ain. Arguments declined by the candidates in the field, like the head of the LR list in Center-Val-de-Loire.
On France Bleu. Nicolas Forissier called for “to prevent left-wing extremisms, ultra-Greens or RN extremisms” from winning, while the outgoing PS president merged his list with that of EELV-LFI.
In Pays-de-la-Loire, the right had from last week denounced “the alliance of shame” between the green candidate Matthieu Orphelin and the rebels. “Behind the facade ecology and the screen of respectability, there is a radical and dangerous left, which claims to be” yellow vests “or close to the Zadists. Mélenchon was the first to rejoice
the qualification of Mr. Orphan, it is the extreme left “, castigates the entourage of the outgoing LR president, Christelle Morancais.
Same tone for the leader of Ile-de-France Valérie Pécresse, this Tuesday on France inter, which calls “for the mobilization of all sincere Republicans.” We must protect the ideas of Mr. Mélenchon “, she said, accusing the rebellious candidate Clémentine Autain, recent ally of the ecologist Julien Bayou, of not having” criticized the conspiratorial and ignoble remarks “of the LFI boss on the attacks before the presidential ones. This exit seems to have left traces also on the left, since the PS president of Occitanie Carole Delga has also refused any alliance with LFI, indicating that his “project is not compatible with the words of Jean-Luc Mélenchon”.
“It shows the panic of the right”
“These statements are shameful and further cloud the political landscape,” deplores Eric Coquerel. But I believe that the right and some in the PS are already in the presidential tactics. LR slaps on Jean-Luc Mélenchon because they perceive us as an adversary for the second round and the PS wants to remain a major party on the left, ”adds the LFI deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis.
On the side of environmentalists, too, we sweep these calls to the dam. “A republican front against me and ecology? It makes no sense. They want to portray me as Khmer Vert or as a melenchonist? I believe they did not choose the best model. I love the Tour de France, I love Christmas trees and I love meat! », Ironically last week the ex-macronist Matthieu Orphelin in reference to the controversies to which several EELV mayors have been the subject.
“This story of the Republican front shows the panic of the right. Rather than talking about local issues, they try to disqualify their opponents and campaign by surfing on identity panics, completely diverted from regional skills, it is a mistake, ”adds the green leader Yannick Jadot. Calls from the right have gone unanswered, because the majority lists have all been maintained in the regions concerned.