Primary: negotiations stalled between LR and UDI – Le Figaro

The centrist party has to decide within a fortnight of his participation in a primary of the right and center with Republicans.

political Bureau LR against UDI executive office. Tuesday night, the governing bodies of the two main parties of the right and center were met almost at the same time to talk about the same subject. And came to opposite conclusions

Among Republicans, two questions were on the agenda. Investitures legislative and opening the primary to other formations. Nicolas Sarkozy and his peers have examined the different possible configurations for the participation of candidates from other parties in competition for the presidential nomination. To date, RS has received two formal requests: that of the Christian Democratic Party, founded by Christine Boutin, and that of the National Centre of Independents and Peasants. President of RS, as “the vast majority of the political office” as a witness, was open to the idea of ​​participation of the CEO and therefore the candidacy of Jean-Frédéric Poisson, president of training and declared candidate in the primary.

However, Nicolas Sarkozy was much more reticent on the issue of CNIP. “If there are some who think they can bend the rules to participate in the primary by being in a particular tag, it is a mistake,” he said in a reference to the support that may be brought CNIP the candidacy of Nadine Morano. Faced with the difficulty of gathering in LR sponsorships of 250 elected representatives, including twenty parliamentarians, MEP made contact with Bruno North, the president of this small and very ancient formation. “For twenty years, the time of the RPR, we certainly would not rule out the CNIP like that,” says a member of the Politburo, who believes “the issue folded.” The participation of the CEO and CNIP will be subject to a vote of the Politburo of LR in two weeks, further explained Nicolas Sarkozy.

“Why not assure them that the winner of the primary will UDI?”

The participation of the IDU, she, still under consideration. According to Thierry Solère, who chairs the organizing committee of the primary to RS, “Jean-Christophe Lagarde presents two requirements.” The first concerns the definition of “common programmatic platform to all candidates in the primary,” but the deputy of Hauts-de-Seine believes that it is “a bad idea”. “In the Charter of the primary, we deliberately chose to limit the commitment of candidates to a declaration of respect for republican values ​​of the right and center and in favor of alternating commitment to successful recovery of the La France. If we start talking about Europe, economic policy, liberalism … we will never manage to get everyone to agree, explains Thierry Solère. The primary is made to compare projects and to allow voters to choose, not to place candidates in stocks. ” The second requirement concerns the definition of a common percentage investitures booked at the center and a ratio for winnable seats. “Between a quarter and a third,” according to the first proposal of Jean-Christophe Lagarde. But again, the political bureau welcomed rather coldly LR requests the UDI. “Nobody wants to stand held tomorrow by the promises made today,” said a member of BP. “Why not assure them that the winner of the primary will UDI?” An irritated officer.

“This will be the primary right, the center. “

the UDI did not need to read the last reserves of his ally LR to mark its dissatisfaction. In an interview with Paris Match , Jean-Christophe Lagarde deplored that “no candidate LR seems able to have a clear line with the center.” “All say they want to work with us, but these are only words. Or they want to await the outcome of the primary, which is too late. Under these conditions, the primary right shall take place without us. This will be the primary right, the center, “threatens the president of the UDI which highlights not received any response to Nicolas Sarkozy’s proposals. “Today among Republicans, yesterday or the UMP or RPR, they all still the same caporaliste software. Clearly, it is. “We decide, you run, ‘” he adds

The members of the centrist federation must vote for or against participation in the primary by the Congress on March 20. The issue divides even the party cadres and reactivated the war between Hervé Morin and Jean-Christophe Lagarde. But after the executive office of the party Tuesday night, the prognoses were pessimistic. “The town of the primary right and center is not yet dead but life is involved,” said one participant.