These ten years which radicalized “Le Figaro”

It was with a cheerful pen that Vincent Trémolet de Villers, number 2 on the editorial staff of "Le Figaro", hailed the triumphant election of Bruno Retailleau as president of the Republicans (LR) last month. His editorial ascribes all the qualities – "solidity of convictions, integrity in office and consistency in work" – to the Minister of the Interior, who dreams of being "the voice of honest people". Retailleau seems to be the glimmer of hope, on the right, that the daily's management was waiting for. One of his journalists deciphers: "François-Xavier Bellamy was perfect, but he remains stuck at 7% of the vote; Zemmour is too Trumpist and condemned by the courts; Marine Le Pen, quasi-socialist; Jordan Bardella, that's not flying high." Laurent Wauquiez has done too many stupid things..." Bruno Retailleau, for his part, offers perspectives: cultured, fervent Catholic, supporter of an ultra-security policy, affirming that "immigration is not an opportunity." And, with that, reactionary on social issues. Thus, on the end of life, the minister castigates "a text, not of fraternity but of abandonment," echoing the editorialist of "Le Figaro" who speaks of a "very serious step in decivilization."

In short, it fits perfectly with the reactionary crusade of the opinion site FigaroVox which, for ten years, has been stirring up antagonisms in public debate by arguing about wokeness or immigration, in particular. So much so that a good part of the editorial staff of "Le Figaro" fears that the site will end up winning over the ethos of the dyed-in-the-wool conservative daily, with its demands based on facts. With this breakthrough by Retailleau, which reinforces their...

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