By-election: in Tarn-et-Garonne, the right is torn apart over the succession of Brigitte Barèges

This is the cost of attacking your boss. Elected by the majority in Montauban, the capital of Tarn-et-Garonne, Bernard Pécou was stripped of his duties as municipal councilor responsible for industrial policy and urban transport on Wednesday, July 30. The reason: he was a candidate in the legislative by-elections to be held on October 5 and 12 to replace Brigitte Barèges. The former UDR (Union of the Right for the Republic, Éric Ciotti's party, an ally of the National Rally) deputy was forced to resign on July 11 after the Constitutional Council rejected her campaign accounts.

But here's the thing: the mayor of Montauban, Marie-Claude Berly, is herself a substitute candidate in the constituency, behind the incumbent candidate Pierre-Henri Carbonnel. The duo is supported by Barèges, herself a former mayor of Montauban. A majority, two candidates, and already yet another twist in Tarn-et-Garonne, where the right has been fighting for over a year.

The origins of the tragedy date back to the early legislative elections of 2024. Brigitte Barèges had then followed Eric Ciotti in his alliance with the RN and was elected MP thanks to the withdrawal of the Le Pen candidate. She then joined the UDR and left the presidency of the LR of the department. The Ciotti supporter had in passing passed on her sash as mayor to her first deputy, Marie-Claude Berly, who remained loyal to the Republicans.

At least, that's what we thought before she left her position as LR departmental secretary at the end of May. And especially before she appeared in a publication by Eric Ciotti on X, on July 29. He announced the candidacy of the former Barèges substitute Pierre-Henri Carbonnel for the election, replaced by... Marie-Claude Berly, under the dual UDR - RN banner. This was not something the Republicans appreciated, since they immediately decided to launch a procedure to exclude Berly.

With the mayor ostracized, LR still had to find a candidate to oppose the Carbonnel-Berly duo. To do this, Bruno Retailleau's party sought out a member of the Montauban mayor's majority: Bernard Pécou. The mayor therefore had his powers withdrawn by the mayor and attacked his leader as soon as she declared his candidacy on July 31: "I believe in the union of right-wing voters, not in mechanical alliances. The right does not rebuild itself by leaving it. It rebuilds itself by serving it."

For her part, Marie-Claude Berly is now playing on the ambiguity of her position as a Republican, albeit on borrowed time, supported by the UDR. The close associate of Brigitte Barèges has in fact posted a campaign poster on her social networks where party logos have been replaced by the sober phrase "Union of the Right," perpetuating the confusion of genres.

This is something Mathieu Albugues, the current departmental secretary of the Republicans, does not intend to let pass. After sharply criticizing the mayor of Montauban, inviting her to "take care of her community," he now finds himself at the center of a settling of scores via email, statements to the press, and social media with Brigitte Barèges. "Our political family is being rebuilt, certainly. But it is standing, carried by the momentum of a new generation and by activists who remain proud and loyal," he declared in an open letter to LR members in the 82nd arrondissement.

With two months to go before the by-election, "reconstruction" still seems a long way off for the Tarn-et-Garonne right, while the left is already in full swing. Former Socialist Party MP Valérie Rabault has endorsed departmental councillor Cathie Bourdoncle to reclaim the constituency lost in 2024.