Presidential 2027: Retailleau submits dates for a primary to Philippe, Attal and Lisnard

This is a new initiative to try to unite the right and the center with a view to the presidential election. And this time it comes from the president of the Republicans.

Bruno Retailleau wrote on Tuesday to Édouard Philippe (Horizons), Gabriel Attal (Renaissance) and David Lisnard (Nouvelle Énergie) to propose the organization of a primary on January 31 and February 7, indicated his entourage, confirming information from Le Figaro.

Retailleau wants to “prevent” an RN-LFI duel

“None of us today are in a position, alone, to create a dynamic to convince the French in the first round, and to prevent a brutal clash between the National Rally and France Insoumise,” writes the former Minister of the Interior, who had already rallied last week to the idea of organizing a primary, to which only Édouard Philippe, among the four candidates, is opposed.

But “time is against us. Because the more the campaign advances, the more Jean-Luc Mélenchon's influence strengthens, and with it the chaos that would threaten our country if he reached the second round,” he says with alarm.

“Denial is therefore no longer possible”, and “we must act quickly”, he insists, proposing that this primary take place “as soon as possible”, or according to him on Sundays January 31 and February 7.

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To this end, he proposes that the campaign managers of the various candidates hold “within fifteen days […] a first working meeting”. Now we'll see what responses this request gets.