“Beyond the legal aspects”, the Republicans “do not recognize Éric Ciotti as their legitimate leader”, maintains MP Philippe Gosselin

“Beyond the legal aspects, there is an extremely political aspect. The political aspect is that today’s LRs do not recognize Eric Ciotti as their legitimate leader”reacts Saturday June 15 on franceinfo Philippe Gosselin, deputy of Les Républicains de la Manche, after the decision of the Paris judicial court to suspend the exclusion of Eric Ciotti by the LR political office.

Philippe Gosselin procrastinates: “It is justice in the context of an interim order. It absolutely does not resolve the case on the merits which is postponed until at least eight days”. So, in the meantime, “there is an appearance of presidency. Eric Ciotti cloaks himself in legality”.

The elected representative of the Republicans wants to be “very clear” : “It is the LR without Ciotti which today has the unanimous support of the political office”. According to him, the “message to remember” is that “few troops followed Eric Ciotti” and that “shows that his attempt to remain in a form of putsch at the head of the party has failed”, he insists. The LR deputy, however, concedes “there are the judicial elements which need to be reviewed and that is dramatic”. Philippe Gosselin also admits that this crisis within the party “effectively participates in a totally impossible blurring of positions”because two candidates risk running under the LR label in the same constituency.

“Residents from my home in La Manche question me” to know “how is it going?”. This situation “will undoubtedly lead a certain number of outgoing LRs – and this will be my case – to declare us as various right”press Philippe Gosselin. “We will see in the coming days how things will become clearer”, he specifies. He criticizes Eric Ciotti for having created a situation which “damages the LR brand”.