Eric Ciotti confirms François-Xavier Bellamy as head of the Republican checklist | EUROtoday

The announcement isn’t a shock. Invited to TF1’s “8 p.m.” on Monday January 15, Eric Ciotti formalized François-Xavier Bellamy as head of the checklist of the Les Républicains (LR) social gathering for the European elections on June 9. “François-Xavier Bellamy will lead our campaign. He is a remarkable European elected official who has given influence to our group, to France in the European Parliament in Strasbourg or in Brussels.praises the president of LR. He is a man of conviction, value, experience and work. »

Like the National Rally (RN) with Jordan Bardella and undoubtedly waiting for the Socialist Party (PS) with Raphaël Glucksmann and La France insoumise (LFI) with Manon Aubry, the right opts for the same headliner as in 2019. At the time, the list led by the philosophy lecturer – then a novice in politics – had landed at 8.48% of the votes after a promising start to the campaign. The latest polls now place it between 8% and 9%. Nothing infamous for a right whose electoral standards have been largely revised downwards since the disaster of Valérie Pécresse during the presidential election of 2022 (4.78%). “I have no excitement or concern about my nomination”, declared Mr. Bellamy to Worldfinish of November 2023.

But the pinnacle of the LR delegation was beginning to discover the time lengthy in current weeks. Like the boss of LR senators, Bruno Retailleau, there have been many at Les Républicains to ask Eric Ciotti to place an finish to a suspense that had develop into non-existent. “I am not pro-Bellamy, but it must be recognized that he works in the European Parliamentgreets the LR deputy for Haut-de-Seine Philippe Juvin. He has progressed well and is a good lobbyist for the group. »

Conservative line

For months, Eric Ciotti nevertheless looked for a plan B or rather the (very) rare pearl. Or a personality identified with the right and capable of seducing a more moderate electorate, who moved towards Macronie. In the eyes of the Republican boss, Mr. Bellamy – very popular among activists – embodied a line that was too conservative and “Versailles” for the whole right-wing voters. In 2019, on the very finish of the marketing campaign, his place on the cessation of the care offered to Vincent Lambert, this quadriplegic affected person then in a vegetative state for greater than ten years, had been probably the most criticized in his social gathering. It would even have price two factors, in response to a survey commissioned internally.

Without denying his phrases on the time (“There is no life worth living”, he declared on the time), the pinnacle of the checklist claims to have realized from this expertise and now needs to steer clear of societal points. A problem. But, in 5 years, the politician has damaged by way of underneath the mental, who now advances extra cautiously. Even Jordan Bardella privately praises his qualities and sees him – with malice – ending forward of Marion Maréchal, head of the checklist of Reconquête!, Eric Zemmour’s social gathering. “Bellamy can profit from the match between Bardella and Maréchalobserves MEP LR Brice Hortefeux. I do not imagine in a respectful marketing campaign between the 2, we are saying that initially however it’s by no means the case ultimately. »

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