"He is very legitimate": Former Prime Minister Michel Barnier considers running for the by-election in Paris

Michel Barnier soon to return to the Palais Bourbon? This is in any case the hypothesis that has been widely circulated, BFMTV learned this Tuesday, July 15, confirming information from Le Figaro , while the former Prime Minister is tempted to become MP for the second constituency of Paris, left vacant after the forced departure of Jean Lassucq.

Three MPs, Jean Laussucq , Stéphane Vojetta (both EPR, the Macronist party) and Brigitte Barèges (UDR, Eric Ciotti's party allied with the RN) were declared ineligible by the Constitutional Council on July 11, which rejected their campaign accounts. The elected officials have therefore " automatically resigned " from their mandates.

"Michel Barnier, who has lived in this constituency for over ten years (and is a member of the LR party in Paris, editor's note), has been approached for several days by numerous elected officials, officials from his political family and beyond to be a candidate in the second constituency of Paris, where a by-election will take place in September," the 74-year-old's entourage told BFMTV.

However, before making a decision, Michel Barnier "wishes to meet and listen to the elected representatives of the three districts concerned and the political leaders of the common base who supported his actions as Prime Minister," his close associates continued.

"He will announce his decision at the end of these consultations," Michel Barnier's entourage told BFMTV.

If the option of Michel Barnier running in Paris to try to keep the seat previously occupied by a member of parliament from the presidential camp is taking shape, it is also being pursued by the government.

This candidacy is viewed "very favorably" by the Republicans' presidency, the entourage of Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior and president of the LR, told BFMTV. "It's very legitimate to go there; it would have the dual advantage of having a weighty voice in LR and of agreeing on the entire common ground."

Jean Laussucq, the resigning MP, is accused of having paid "campaign expenses using his personal bank account" and of having allowed third parties to pay "directly a significant portion of the expenses incurred for his 2024 election campaign."

The irregular expenses "represent 21% of the amount of the account's expenditure and 10.2% of the authorized expenditure ceiling in the constituency" and amount to 7,030 euros, the Constitutional Council specified.