The new chief of the Republicans presented his “gathering team”. Bruno Retailleau, who had arrived at 2ᵉ in the race for the presidency of LR, criticized an organization chart which “does not take into account the balances from the ballot”.
mo12345lemonde with AFP
Elected in December at the head of the Republicans, Eric Ciotti will appoint Aurélien Pradié and François-Xavier Bellamy in the posts of vice-presidents within a “gathering team” which earned him the criticisms of Bruno Retailleau from his Presentation, Wednesday 18 January.
“I wanted this management team to be (…) the reflection of the found unit”, explained to Le Figaro the new president, elected in the second round with 54 % of the votes, a measured success forcing him to Find a clever balance in the organization chart.
The deputy for Lot Aurélien Pradié had gathered 22 % of the votes in the first round by promoting a “popular right”. MEP François-Xavier Bellamy is a relative of Bruno Retailleau, election finalist, who had convinced 46 % of members in the second round.
Rachida Dati promoted
Bruno Retailleau himself refused any “major responsibility” to “focus on the presidency of the group in the Senate”, according to Mr. Ciotti, but the Senator of Vendée reacted to the announcement of this organization chart, in The evening, believing that this “does not take into account the balances from the ballot. Our agreements are not respected. I regret it. Confidence is the prerequisite essential to the rally,” he added on Twitter .
The organization chart of@Eciotti does not take into account the balances from the ballot. Our agreements are not respected. J… https://t.co/mdhaurnnhb
The organization chart sees the promotion of Rachida Dati, “undoubtedly today the most popular figure of our political family”, at the head of the National Council. Former Minister Sarkozyst “also embodies the hope of seeing us conquer the capital”, which “will be a major step towards national victories”, affirms Éric Ciotti.
Annie Genevard, who had assured the head of LR, will become secretary general and the former European negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier, will be in charge of international relations. As for the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes Michèle Tabarot, a relative of the new president, she will chair the national commission of inauguration, a strategic position hitherto occupied by Eric Ciotti himself.
shadow cabinet
The strategic committee will continue to integrate the “big figures” of the party such as Laurent Wauquiez, Xavier Bertrand or Valérie Pécresse, as well as, on the Parliament side, Gérard Larcher, Bruno Retailleau and Olivier Marleix. The president of the movement intends to name “in the days coming” a “shadow cabinet”, or ghost government, of around twenty members. “We are an opposition party intended to become a government and right party. We are not intended to be the auxiliaries of a power that completes its race,” said the new boss of LR.
Regarding pensions, he repeats that a reform “is essential in the interest of the country”. But “we still have requests on improving the situation of small retirees,” he added on the eve of a day of mobilization against this reform. Asked about the future Immigration Bill by Gérald Darmanin, Eric Ciotti assures that he will vote “against this text” which he calls “lure” and “fruit of a bad compromise”.
In a party in search of public funding since the debacle (4.8 % of the votes) of the presidential election, Eric Ciotti also claims to have, with the treasurer Daniel Fasquelle, “open a reflection” on the moving of the siege. As for the appointment of the future LR candidate for the presidential election of 2027, “I will respect the choice of Laurent Wauquiez, but I think that it will not be necessary to get out of the wood too late”, he said.