The family photo, following a press briefing in Cannes, brought together many elected LRs from the Alpes-Maritimes. Senators Henri Leroy, Alexandra Borchio Fontimp, Dominique Estrosi-Sassone, the mayor of Mandelieu-La Napoule Sébastien Leroy, that of Cannes David Lisnard, surrounding their guest this Friday: the leader of the senators LR Bruno Retailleau, one of the key men in Valérie Pécresse’s presidential campaign. A union “never seen” assures Bruno Retailleau, for a goal “to ensure the victory of Valérie Pécresse (…) I say it, I affirm it, only she is able, in the second round, to beat Emmanuel Macron.
Barely a week after Eric Zemmour, who brought together 4,000 people in Cannes, Les Républicains chose Le Cannet for a political meeting led by Bruno Retailleau, in a more modest room, in front of more than 500 people. The senator, responsible for preparing the major reforms at the start of the five-year term if Valérie Pécresse is elected, rolled out the program and attacked Emmanuel Macron’s balance sheet. “The President of the Republic will undoubtedly be in the second round, the French must know his true record, catastrophic in the field of migration, security, school, insists the senator. You absolutely have to beat him.”
But how to stand out from the competition on the right, that of Marine Le Pen, Eric Zemmour, even Emmanuel Macron? “If we support Valérie Pécresse, it’s because we know that beyond what she can say, she has a capacity to achieve. She did it in her area, underlines the mayor of Cannes David Lisnard. Without falling into demagogy, the little phrase, which are electoral assholes, how to advance your candidacy? This is the issue. It is difficult, I admit (…) it takes time to get the message across.”
Does the mayor of Cannes have a role to play in this campaign? Even beyond? Yes, according to the response of Bruno Retailleau, not stingy with compliments to David Lisnard. “I think he will have a national future, he said. He is one of our best assets for the years to come.” Future minister, the mayor of Cannes? He prefers to temporize. And focus on the first step: victory in the presidential election.