Wishing to “participate in the new political offer which will result from [la] presidential campaign ”, Edouard Philippe, ex-head of government, decided to form his own political party. This new party, the official launch of which is scheduled for Saturday, October 9, in Le Havre, raises some questions within the majority.
Edouard Philippe has however assured Emmanuel Macron on several occasions of his support for the presidential election of 2022, promising him “loyalty” and “enthusiasm”. The former Prime Minister also told the marchers that they were all “welcome” at the launch of his party, whose stated objective is to “participate in the enlargement […] of the electoral base of the president ”Macron.
See far to do well.
Go beyond the short term.
Build a strategy for France.
Participate in the constitution of a new political offer.
Help the President to enable France to succeed.
Meeting on October 9 in Le Havre: https://t.co/STZcxAj6Lr pic.twitter.com/MrFvwIKJJo
– Edouard Philippe (@EPhilippe_LH) October 4, 2021
Moreover, this Saturday, October 9, the three bosses of the parliamentary groups of the majority, Christophe Castaner (LREM), Olivier Becht (Agir) and Patrick Mignola (MoDem), will be present in Le Havre. As well as at least a dozen LREM deputies, who came on their “personal initiative”. Among them, Marie Guévenoux, who will represent the presidential party, Marie Lebec (first vice-president of the LREM deputies), Aurore Bergé (deputy president), Naïma Moutchou (Val d’Oise), Cendra Motin (Isère) or even Thomas Mesnier ( Charente).
If Christophe Castaner ensures that “no one doubts his commitment [celui d’Edouard Philippe, NDLR] in the presidential majority ”, some deputies express a certain“ feverishness ”from their colleagues, even warnings about their participation in the launch of the former Prime Minister’s party. What the management of the LREM group rejects.
He “will have to position himself”
Some questions nevertheless seem to emerge, even among those who will be present this Saturday. Olivier Becht, president of the Agir group at the Assembly, is already warning Edouard Philippe: he “will have to take a position”. According to him, if the mayor of Le Havre does not manage to “welcome personalities, in particular from the UDI or LR, who have not yet joined the majority”, then “he will be on the same position as Agir”, which already unites allies of the right and the center right.
If he assures that his group “intended to work with this new political offer”, Olivier Becht nevertheless believes that “having two structures of the same sensitivity that do the same thing, it is of no interest”. He also adds that he does not subscribe “at this stage” to Edouard Philippe’s proposal for a postponement of the retirement age of up to 67 years.
This position was formulated by the mayor of Le Havre, from LR and who has always refused to take his card from LREM, during a recent interview for the magazine Challenges. During this interview, he also expressed reservations about the engagement income for young people, promised by Emmanuel Macron. What reinforce the questions of some, who also noted the absence of Edouard Philippe at the large “campus” of the presidential party in Avignon, Saturday, October 2.
For his part, the boss of LREM, Stanislas Guérini, sweeps away doubts with the back of his hand. “Yes”, Edouard Philippe “with vocation to be” under the tent “”, he declares, referring to the “common house” wanted by the alliance LREM / MoDem / Agir. Asked about the new party of the former Prime Minister, he is categorical: there is “no difference in the presidential majority compared to this approach”.
