Paris (France) (AFP) – LR Mayor of Meaux Jean-François Copé on Tuesday called on the right to stop “constantly looking for General De Gaulle whom we do not have in stock” and to “gather” around “the candidates we have” for the presidential election.

Published on: 03/11/2026 - 10:57

“We have to stop whining and the right of government must come together, stop constantly looking for General de Gaulle, whom we do not have in stock, and make do with the candidates we have,” declared the official on TF1.

Asked about Gabriel Attal's proposal, rejected by Édouard Philippe, to organize a primary to "avoid a second round between Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Le Pen", Jean-François Copé recalled that it had "been for six months ago".

“But from the moment they do not agree among themselves because Gabriel Attal wants us to add (Raphaël) Glucksmann, that is to say the candidate of the left, (David) Lisnard wants us to add (Sarah) Knafo, that is to say the extreme right, all that no longer makes any sense,” he said.

According to him, it is nevertheless “indispensable” that the right “has only one candidate”.

“What is necessary is that in January, we come together behind the one who will be best placed, the most likely to be in the final,” he hoped, summoning his camp to “call for resistance” to “save the country”.

The Renaissance candidate Gabriel Attal, left behind in the polls by Édouard Philippe, called for the organization of a primary from the center and the right, which he considers "inevitable" despite the refusal of the mayor of Le Havre.

In addition to these two candidates in the Macronist camp, the boss of LR Bruno Retailleau and the mayor of Cannes David Lisnard (ex-LR) are candidates for the presidential election. The president of Hauts de-France Xavier Bertrand (LR) could also soon declare himself.

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© 2026 AFP

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