As the prospect of a right and center primary recedes, the mayor of Meaux LR, Jean-François Copé, launched a call for unity to his political family on Tuesday. He urged his colleagues to stop “constantly looking for General de Gaulle” and to “make do” with the current candidates to achieve a single candidacy.

Published on: 03/11/2026 - 08:51 Modified on: 03/11/2026 - 08:52

“We have to stop whining”: on the TF1 set, the LR mayor of Meaux Jean-François Copé tried to revive the morale of the troops of his political family, Tuesday November 2. He calls in particular to stop "constantly looking for General de Gaulle whom we do not have in stock" and to "come together" around "the candidates we have" for the presidential election.

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.

“Only one candidate” on the right

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.

See alsoPresidential 2027: the primary of the right and the center will not take place

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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