After the defeat in the European elections, many of the Renaissance candidates do not display the photo of the head of state, or even do not mention their label, on their posters for the early vote.
“I don’t listen to the president, I’m campaigning.” This sentence, slipped into circulation on a market in Ile-de-France at the time of Emmanuel Macron’s press conference on Tuesday June 12, is not that of an opposition candidate for the legislative elections. , but of a Renaissance deputy who is representing himself. And to continue: “I definitely don’t want to be linked to him during this campaign. Besides, there won’t be his photo on my leaflet.” The dissolution of the National Assembly, announced on Sunday by the Head of State in reaction to the results of the European elections, has left its mark on the presidential camp.
The 169 outgoing Renaissance deputies know that they have little chance of meeting in full on July 7, the evening of the second round of the legislative elections. Faced with the historic breakthrough of a far-right bloc with nearly 40% in the European elections, some Macronists say they are preparing to “go to the massacre” in their constituency. And many of them want to free themselves from the figure of the president, who has a “repel effect”according to a Renaissance framework. “It is first of all a rejection of the president by the French. Then, the outgoing deputies also have a feeling of betrayal towards Emmanuel Macron, while they did the job. They are not the reason for the defeat in the European elections “asserts this same source.
Quite the opposite of the National Rally candidates, who proudly display the photo of Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen. Result: while in 2022, and even more so in 2017, many Renaissance candidates appeared alongside Emmanuel Macron for the presidential election, this time you have to look hard to find mention of the head of state. “The president wanted his face everywhere, some made him realize that it was perhaps better without him”, slips a ministerial advisor. Renaissance leaves its candidates free to “do as they wish” for their posters, although kits are provided for those who lack inspiration.
“It is not necessarily useful to put another layer on the president at this moment”, further euphemizes Benoît Bordat, outgoing deputy for the 2nd constituency of Côte-d’Or, narrowly elected in 2022 against a Nupes candidate. He chose to campaign on his name and put on a blindfold “candidate of the democratic, republican and progressive forces”. “Naturally, Emmanuel Macron is coming to the end of his mandate, and we know that we will have to find other incarnations”justifies Olga Givernet, outgoing deputy for Ain, who appears alone on her first campaign leaflet.
However, the tenant of the Elysée still has three years of power left, but the wear and tear is there. Even if some put it into perspective. “It’s normal after seven years in office, replies Damien Adam, outgoing deputy for Seine-Maritime. Faced with oppositions that promise wonders, without explaining how they finance their measures, this inevitably gives the impression that on the other hand, we are not doing what is necessary to respond to people’s difficulties. The former elected official denies not putting Emmanuel Macron in his photo on his poster: “I had not put Emmanuel Macron on my posters in 2022, so there is no change.”
The express campaign imposed by Emmanuel Macron by choosing the shortest deadline, led many candidates to take the photo used two years ago. But we must also take into account the result of the European elections, which imposes very different tactics from 2022. In many constituencies, the image of the president is thus neglected. “We adapt the strategy to its territory, to electoral realities. Everyone makes the choice that best suits the sensitivity of their electorate to the figure of the president”, assures Marc Ferracci, outgoing deputy for French people abroad. This person, very close to Emmanuel Macron, has not yet decided whether or not he will put the president’s photo on his poster, a choice he made for his previous campaign. “The context is different, we were in the wake of the presidential election, we had to capitalize on it. But if I am alone on it, it is not a message of distrust,” he explains.
At this time, only Paul Midy, outgoing deputy for Essonne, elected with 19 votes behind Cédric Villani, has chosen to put the president and the Prime Minister on his poster. “This is the project that I have been carrying for seven years and I want to continue to carry it over the next three years. It is also important to put Attal, because he is the leader of the majority and the leader of this campaign”he justifies.
Like the first leaflet of the Renaissance campaign highlighting Gabriel Attal, some deputies prefer to turn exclusively to the popular figure of the Prime Minister. “The issue is not whether Emmanuel Macron will stay at the Elysée, but whether Gabriel Attal will be able to stay at Matignon”explains the deputy for Côtes-d’Armor Eric Bothorel, who hopes to succeed in bringing the young Prime Minister to travel to his constituency during the campaign.
“And then, Gabriel Attal is less damaged by the exercise of power than the President of the Republic.”
Eric Bothorel, deputy for Côtes-d’Armorat franceinfo
The outgoing MP, Olga Givernet, has just completed her first campaign leaflet, after hesitating for a long time. “At the beginning, I had put the name of Gabriel Attal, but I had a doubt and I ran out of spaceshe admits. And then, I wanted to adjust based on the first feelings on the ground.” In the end, she intends to put the Prime Minister’s name on other leaflets, “maybe even a photo with him” in his profession of faith. But not everyone will make this choice. “I am a middle-aged, blonde woman, if I put a young dark-haired man next to me, I don’t want to have easy comparisons with the Bardella-Le Pen poster”, confides another MP.
Between the choice of the photo, the different names or logos of the parties, the composition of an electoral poster requires a subtle balance. “In the markets, people need to place you. There must be no doubt about the party, nor any vagueness or pushback effect”, explains Olga Givernet. Faced with the two large blocs made up of the National Rally and the “new Popular Front”, the majority will have to find a clear incarnation. “The choice will be whether the French ultimately want Mélenchon [qui n’a pas été désigné comme le futur Premier ministre du “nouveau Front populaire” s’il l’emportait]Attal or Bardella [comme chefs du gouvernement ]so it makes sense to highlight the Prime Minister”adds a ministerial advisor who hopes to obtain the investiture of Renaissance.
They are also very numerous to campaign above all on their name and on their roots in the constituency, which explains why recourse to executive figures is increasingly rare. “For seven years, I have been identified locally and recognized, I validate this notoriety with this campaign photo, but I am always in support of Emmanuel Macron”assures Brigitte Liso, in the North. “We chose a campaign based on local dynamics”we also explain in the team of Sophie Errante, outgoing MP for Loire-Atlantique.
“Two years ago, I didn’t have the same notorietyadds Benoît Bordat. I’m proud to campaign on my name.” Sometimes, in addition to the absence of photos of the president or the Prime Minister, certain candidates go so far as to erase the mention of the party or that of “the presidential majority”, like the Essonne deputy Robin Reda. “This was already the case in 2022, because I have the least Macronist constituency in the majority, smiles this former member of LR. For ten years, I have never brought logos or personalities with me. Me, it’s me. Our party is our country. And we must succeed in bringing together the Republicans of both sides.”