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Damaged by its implosion, the right-wing party is doing worse than in 2022 after the first round of early legislative elections on Sunday.
This is a new slap in the face for the right. The candidates of the Republicans (LR) and classified as various right-wing parties only garnered 10.0% of the votes cast in the first round of the legislative elections, Sunday June 30, according to our Ipsos-Talan estimate for France Télévisions, Radio France, France 24, RFI and LCP.
Two years after achieving the disappointing score of 13.62% of the vote in the first round of the 2022 legislative elections, the right-wing bloc is doing even worse. It is once again ranked fourth, far behind the three main political blocs: the National Rally and its Ciottist allies (33.2%), the New Popular Front (28.1%) and the presidential majority bloc (21%), again according to our Ipsos-Talan estimate.
Going through a historic crisis since their president, Eric Ciotti, announced his support for the RN for this election, Les Républicains have invested some 400 candidates. Their campaign has been polluted by this psychodrama, while the party’s executives have tried, in vain, to exclude their boss.
The Les Républicains party, which had a group of 61 deputies in the Assembly until the dissolution, should see its workforce decline. It is difficult to predict how many seats the right-wing bloc can hope to obtain at the end of the second round, because it will depend on retentions in the second round, vote carryovers and possible agreements. The candidates of LR and the various right could win between 41 and 61 seats, according to an initial Ipsos-Talan projection to be handled with caution. Which would be enough to form a parliamentary group.
Several outgoing MPs and party leaders are trying to keep their seats, such as Annie Genevardinterim general secretary of the party, qualified in the 5th constituency of Doubs with 35.2% of the vote. She faces a duel in the second round, against the RN candidate Florianne Jeandenand (33.73%).
Laurent Wauquiezformer party boss and MP from 2012 to 2017, would like to return to the Palais-Bourbon. He came first (36.8%) in the 1st constituency of Haute-Loire, already held by LR, a first step for those who see themselves as candidates for the 2027 presidential election. The former minister narrowly beat the National Rally candidate Alexandre Heuzey (34.18%), according to the final results, and came far ahead of Celline Gacon, nominated by the New Popular Front-The Ecologists (18.66%).
Olivier Marleix, deputy for the 2nd constituency of Eure-et-Loir and boss of the LR group in the Assembly, is also a candidate for re-election. He is in an unfavorable ballot on the evening of the first round, with 25.93% of the votes behind the RN candidate Olivier Dubois (38.32%) and neck and neck with the New Popular Front-PS candidate Nadia Faveris (25, 59%), according to partial results.
In Hauts-de-Seine, the head of the LR federation, Philippe Juvinirritated the executives by reaching an agreement with the presidential camp. Aurelien Pradié, outgoing deputy from Lot, slammed the door of the party five days before the election. He will also participate in the second round in the 1st constituency, thanks to his score of 42.25%, ahead of the candidate of the New Popular Front-LFI Elsa Bougeard (24.33%) and that of the RN Slavka Mihaylova (23.06%), according to partial results.
“Macronism is dead”reacted the interim leadership of the Republicans, which took over the reins of the party after the alliance formed by Eric Ciotti with the RN. It decided not to give any voting instructions for the second round. “Where we are not present in the second round, considering that voters are free to choose, we do not give national instructions and let the French express themselves in conscience”specifies a press release published Sunday evening.