Officially, everything is fine, it discusses constructively. When we go into detail, local tensions and competition emerge between elected Horizons, supported by Edouard Philippe, and candidates approached or pushed by the management of En Marche and behind by the historical figures of Macronie.
Concrete example: in the Var, in Toulon. Mayor Hubert Falco, a former Republican, now a supporter of Emmanuel Macron, wants to propel a relative into the first constituency, except that there is already an outgoing En Marche, who does not intend to leave the place, who is supported by Paris. “Hubert Falco is furious”, relates a mayor who spoke to him recently, because he considers himself to be the most legitimate to choose who is a candidate at home. He therefore threatens to support dissident candidates from En Marche.
Same case the department next door, the Alpes-Maritimes, where Christian Estrosi does not appreciate not having control of the nominations in Nice. There is however a rule according to which the outgoing ones have priority. But Horizons considers it questionable. “Some leavers risk being rolled, even more so if the left is united”justifies a relative of Edouard Philippe. “And some constituencies are only winnable with a Horizons candidate”warns a mayor who, by looking at the results of the first round of the presidential election, finds that Emmanuel Macron outperforms in center-right cities… the sociology of Horizons.
There is also the case of leavers deemed fragile. In Normandy is cited the example of this deputy summoned next week to the prud’hommes. “We have people to offer”, slips a local elected official. En Marche and Modem also have names. “There are sticking pointsadmits a friend of Edouard Philippe, but it is less terrible than one might think or hear.” Horizons is ready anyway to engage a balance of power if necessary. “We must take the example of Emmanuel Macron, who led his ‘blitzkrieg’ in 2017 without asking anyone” : this is what the mayor of a big city says, inset Horizons, who intends to declare his candidacy for the legislative elections at the end of the week. “They can do whatever they wanthe warns, I will be a candidate. If I have the majority label, so much the better. If I don’t have it too bad. We’ll see who wins in June.”
Similar comments can be heard in Morbihan, Côtes d’Armor, the North, in Maine-et-Loire or even in Loiret where Jean-Michel Blanquer is expected. “The act of the prince, it no longer works”warns a local referent of the party of Edouard Philippe, who advises En Marche not to be stubborn. “It’s easier to arrest an unknown parachuted candidate than a local supported by local elected officials”. Warm atmosphere. “There is the risk of losing constituencies because of this”, recognizes a member of the political bureau of Horizons. But “If we want peace, we prepare for war”summarizes a friend of the former Prime Minister.