"It affects very few constituencies, so it's easy to generalize about two or three or perhaps a dozen constituencies... These are not national issues, I believe. Evening, it's a national matter. Olivia Gregoire, the newly appointed spokesperson for the government, ignored Anne-Sophie Lapix's question on Sunday, June 12th, along with the hypothesis of a vote instruction in constituencies in which the presidential candidates were eliminated in round one.
There is no appeal to the "republican Front" nor should you vote for a sensibility in constituencies that are likely to be controlled by the National Rally.
It was a confusing, but amazing, position that Renaissance members maintained throughout the evening. (formerly La Republique en Marche) on television sets. It was Maud Bregeon who was the spokesperson of Renaissance-LREM, and the candidate in the 13th Hauts-de-Seine district, who was unambiguous about the line of presidential party. It is the foundation of our DNA. It does not necessarily mean we agree with the Nupes' choices, but it is our DNA. The National Rally should not be ignored.
The editorialists on BFMTV's set, stunned by her reaction, twirl their cards in front of them. One of them said, "It has changed since an hour and a quarter," referring to the ambiguity among the members of LREM including Christophe Castaner (ex-Minister of the Interior under Emmanuel Macron's first term). "Wait, can you clarify? Is that your personal position, or is it the party's position?", the moderator asks. Maud Bregeon replies, "I am here as an spokesperson for LREM. This is the position of our party".
This is clearly the party's position. However, not all its members have been given the instructions. The former Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer was defeated in the 4th constituency, by just a few votes from the Nupes candidate. He was questioned by BFMTV and sent back to the far left and right of Marine the pen. "The extreme left is just as dangerous as the extreme right today, I say this with solemnity. It has been a part of my life since the start of this campaign, but also for five years. Jean-Michel Blanquer rebuked, stating that there is a desire for destruction and there is a danger coming from both the far left or the far right. This is known as hyperinflation, unemployment, and a threat towards democracy. Therefore, the defeated candidate does not give instructions for voters.
Amelie de Montchalin (Minister of Ecological Transition) and candidate in Essonne for deputy, called for a blockade on the "far left" next Sunday in the name the Republic. "I appeal to Republicans from all sides to block the far right, and those who have submitted for it for constituencies, next Sunday. His real project, disorder and anarchy and the permanent questioning our institutions, is what he is really trying to accomplish," said the minister on CNews. The term far left is used here to refer Jerome Guedj who is a senior civil servant and member the Socialist Party. She was a candidate in the constituency.
Similar story in several other constituencies. In these cases, the National Rally against Nupes was present in the second round or Nupes are simply against LREM. Roxana Maracineanu, former Sports Minister, called for Twitter to "block” a "republican Front against the far right".
The 11th Pas-de-Calais constituency saw Marine Le Pen win 57% of votes ahead of the environmentalist candidate Nupes Marine Tondelier. LREM was eliminated. It also said not to vote for either the extreme right or the Nupes. "The choice between extremes or the blank vote is clear. She said, "I therefore invite you to vote blank," before asking her voters to do so.
This was a difficult line for the presidential party to maintain. It was also offended by Jean-Luc Melenchon's speech, in which he asked his voters not to "give a single voice" to Madame Le Pen on the night of the second round. . At the end of the evening Olivia Gregoire, spokesperson, changed her lines and adopted the same Melenchonian credo: "Not one voice should go the far right."
The presidential party and executive have a tenuous crest line. They are trying to paint the Nupes using a lot of Stalinist adjectives while explaining that we should vote for the left instead of the far right. This Monday morning, Gabriel Attal, Minister Delegate responsible for Public Accounts, completed the exercise. The young minister says that "we have always been very clear vis–a-vis extremes" before showing, point-by-point, how the union of left and right is equal in terms of danger. "You have on certain points of the subjects and concerns of concern and dangerousness side by Nupes as well as the National Rally. Both points point towards an alignment towards authoritarian regimes such as Russia, which would lead to us exiting the EU.
This Monday's new speech and line came shortly after Gabriel Attal's intervention on France-Inter. The new Minister of Education Pap Nyaye has sent a tweet to give him a clear vote instruction. This is contrary to the macronie's speeches. No vote should be given to the National Rally, regardless of its configuration. He asserts that the principle of fighting against far right is not one with variable geometry.
Stanislas Guerini followed Pap Ndiaye’s intervention and tweeted that he had asked his camp to make a clear instruction: "Let’s be very specific: Not a voice for RN. Faced with Marine Le Pen I urge Marine Tondelier, to vote in the second round legislative elections. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne for her part, declared that no "one voice" should be heard by the extreme right, akin to Jean-Luc Melenchon. We aren't calling for you to vote for a candidate that doesn't respect republican values or insults our police officers. Clarity is not without its limitations.
