After months of uncertainty, The Republicans know how their 2022 presidential candidate will be nominated and who is in the running. The party announced, Thursday, November 4, that Valérie Pécresse, Philippe Juvin, Eric Ciotti, Xavier Bertrand and Michel Barnier had deposited more than 250 sponsorships, which qualifies them for the internal ballot organized during the congress of December 4. A list without surprise: the entrepreneur Denis Payre, the only other declared candidate, had already announced Tuesday that he would file an appeal against this signature barrier (he says he has collected about thirty).
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Voting will be open to up-to-date Republican members – they have until November 16 to do so. The party announced on Wednesday that it had passed the 100,000 membership mark. Franceinfo summarizes the route and the main proposals of those they will have to decide.
Michel barnier
What is his background? The oldest (70 years) of the candidates in this election was minister under François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, in particular for Foreign Affairs. Passed by the European Commission, he came back into the light by assuming the role of chief negotiator of the European Union in the framework of the talks with London on the Brexit.
At the beginning of 2021, once this page turned, he had let filter his interest in a presidential candidacy. He finally declared himself at the end of August, and had not opposed the organization of a ballot between the candidates.
What does he offer? Unsurprisingly, he highlights his experience and his loyalty to the party (as opposed to the departures of Valérie Pécresse and Xavier Bertrand). He confused his former comrades in Brussels by offering to temporarily free himself from European immigration law, on which he wanted a “moratorium”. He wants to merge all social benefits into one that would be capped, and suspend those of job seekers if they refuse two offers. “reasonable”. He also considers it necessary to increase teachers’ salaries.
Who are his supporters? He is the candidate who filed the most sponsorships of elected officials, with 702 signatures (at least 250 were needed) including 62 parliamentarians, more than his rivals according to The JDD. When franceinfo surveyed the presidents of the 101 departmental LR federations, he was the candidate who received the most support (28). He also received the support of former Secretary of State Nadine Morano. On the other hand, the poll of right-wing sympathizers commissioned by Les Républicains made him appear in third position among the candidates deemed to be the most likely to qualify for the presidential election.
Xavier Bertrand
What is his background? Former insurance agent, Xavier Bertrand, 56, was Minister of Health and Labor, then became president of the Hauts-de-France region in 2016, winning against Marine Le Pen. He was re-elected last June.
He also led the party for two years, when it was still called the UMP. In 2017, he left Les Républicains when Laurent Wauquiez became president of the party. He declared himself a presidential candidate last March but refused to go through a primary for a very long time, hoping to establish himself as the candidate “natural” from the right. It was not until October that he accepted the principle of internal voting and took back his party card.
What does he offer? If elected, Xavier Bertrand promises that he will not be a candidate for a second term. He wants to lower the criminal age to 15 years, restore minimum sentences and allow prosecutors to pronounce sentences without the intervention of a judge. He proposes to push back the retirement age by two years, to tighten the conditions for unemployment compensation and to increase the monthly income of full-time employees to a minimum of 1,500 euros via a bonus.
Who are his supporters? Its spokesperson, Pierre-Henri Dumont, announced on October 27 the deposit of 427 sponsorships of elected officials, but ensures that Xavier Bertrand has received more than 500. Among them, 58 parliamentarians LR, specifies The JDD. Eighteen departmental federation presidents told Franceinfo to support him, less than for Michel Barnier but more than for his other competitors. Within the party, he received the support of Damien Abad, president of the LR group in the National Assembly. In addition, the study commissioned by Les Républicains at the Ifop institute, in the hope of deciding between the candidates, concluded that Xavier Bertrand was considered by supporters as having the most chances of carrying the right in the second round. But the party still chose to rely on a vote to decide.
Eric Ciotti
What is his background? Eric Ciotti, 56, has never been a minister but since 2007 he has been a member of his fiefdom in the Alpes-Maritimes, where he also chaired the departmental council for nearly nine years. He headed the Assembly’s commission of inquiry into the management of the Covid-19 crisis.
He declared himself a candidate for the presidential election at the end of August, immediately pleading for the organization of a primary.
What does he offer? Very involved in security and immigration issues, Eric Ciotti offers in particular a “national priority” and European for access to employment, benefits and housing. He promises a return to 39 hours of weekly work and the elimination of 250,000 civil servant positions. Claiming to be the most right wing of his party, he said he would vote instead for Eric Zemmour if the polemicist faced Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the presidential election.
Who are his supporters? Eric Ciotti’s team announced on Tuesday that he would deposit around 400 sponsorships, well beyond the threshold of 250. The JDD counted 21 supporters of the deputy among the LR parliamentarians. According to the census of France Televisions, he is supported by two of the presidents of departmental federations, but one of them is none other than … himself, who heads that of the Alpes-Maritimes. He does not have any declared support among the party leaders.
Philippe Juvin
What is his background? Philippe Juvin, 57, is an anesthesiologist and teacher. He is currently head of emergency at the Georges-Pompidou European hospital in Paris. It is undoubtedly under this hat that he is best known to the general public, especially since the Covid-19 crisis, the management of which he criticized in a book.
He has also been involved in politics for a long time. Mayor of La Garenne-Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine) for twenty years, president of the LR federation of the department, he was also a European deputy for nearly ten years, until 2019. He declared his candidacy for the presidential election in July.
What does he offer? He presents the management of the Covid-19 crisis as the trigger that motivated his candidacy and says he wants to be “the candidate of public services” and their modernization. It also promises a drop “massive” taxes and wants to transfer more powers to local communities, and more financial means to rural areas.
Who are his supporters? Philippe Juvin passed the threshold of sponsorship of elected officials requested by a hair, depositing 270 signatures. Only one LR parliamentarian said support him at JDD, and remains anonymous. He appears as supported by a president of the LR federation in the survey of France Televisions, but it is about himself, at the head of that of Hauts-de-Seine.
Valerie Pécresse
What is his background? Valérie Pécresse, 54, was first MP for Yvelines, then Minister, Education and Budget, and government spokesperson. She has chaired the Ile-de-France region since 2015.
A declared presidential candidate since July, she pleaded for the organization of a primary. To participate in the internal vote finally organized, she took back her party card, which she had left in 2019 in opposition to the line of Laurent Wauquiez, founding Libres !, her own formation.
What does she offer? Valérie Pécresse has promised to cut nearly 200,000 civil servant positions in the administration. Its security program is based on the construction of prison places and the increase in the budget of Justice, so that judgments are rendered more quickly. She wants asylum seekers to submit their files to French embassies abroad. And proposes to tax at the EU border products that do not meet European ecological standards.
Who are his supporters? Valérie Pécresse’s entourage told AFP to have filed “Much more” of 250 sponsorships, and even ensures to have the 500 signatures necessary to run for president. But he does not give an exact count, in the name of the refusal of the “numbers race”. The JDD, who questioned all LR parliamentarians, found 48 supporters of the candidate, a little less than Michel Barnier and Xavier Bertrand. The same goes for our survey of the presidents of federations, who are 13 to wish their victory. Former ministers Brice Hortefeux and Gérard Longuet joined her. According to the poll commissioned by LR and delivered in September, 27% of supporters saw her as having the most chances of reaching the second round of the presidential election, far behind Xavier Bertrand (45%) but ahead of Michel Barnier (17% ).