Discreet in the political sequence around the riots, Marine Le Pen plays it. And that worries the executive, who is looking for the parade. Agathe Lambret’s political editorial.
Politically, what is striking in this crisis after the death of Nahel, 17, killed in Nanterre, is the discretion, once again, of Marine Le Pen. Tuesday, June 27, just after the death of the young driver, the leader of the RN had waited 24 hours to react. She did it in two stages, and soberly: first, to be surprised at the words of Emmanuel Macron who had described the facts as “inexcusable”.
>> Violence after the death of Nahel: despite the pressure, Emmanuel Macron wants to give himself time
“It’s up to the courts to answer“, then explained Marine Le Pen, draped in her clothes as a responsible opponent. And, then, to demand in a short video that the political groups be received by the president. The time of outrageous remarks and permanent calls for resignation seems to be over.
And Marine Le Pen would almost pass for balanced when her adversaries, Eric Zemmour and the Insoumis are unleashed in vain to try to recover from the events. However, this silence can be explained: Marine Le Pen is taking care of her presidential posture. The challenge now is to soften its image, and to refocus to broaden its spectrum – it has long scared people.
Talking or the risk of missteps
And then, why speak out: the facts speak for themselves, she told herself. This crisis is a summary of his favorite subjects: insecurity, wildness. But there is also the fact that it is not easy to criticize a president who has managed the riots rather well. So, the RN deputy leaves the words, often radical, to her faithful Jordan Bardella. And she leaves the mistakes to others. Marine Le Pen is silent, because to speak would be to take the risk of committing a faux pas.
And the executive precisely fears that she no longer needs to speak to convince the French. The fear at the top of the state is that in the end it is Le Pen who wins. An Elabe poll revealed on July 4 thus shows that today it is Marine Le Pen who stands out, and not the Insoumis despite their activism. And it’s not just because she doesn’t hit the wrong note. There are other signs that worry the majority: a society that is becoming radicalized, French people who are exhausted in the face of violence, ready to take justice into their own hands, demanding radical measures… The kitty for the police officer indicted says a lot with these approximately 1.5 million euros collected in a few days.
And the executive is as if caught in a vise. Difficult to remain in a purely security response, to be satisfied with threatening to financially punish the parents, but delicate, also, to answer in billions of euros for a plan intended for the suburbs. Macronie is torn, and the one who benefits, but in silence, is Marine Le Pen.