LR National Council: Retailleau chooses David Lisnard as vice-president and Michèle Tabarot as special advisor

Following his victory on 17 May, Interior Minister Retailleau initially announced a streamlined management structure, primarily composed of close associates, including MEP François-Xavier Bellamy as deputy vice-president, Othman Nasrou as secretary-general and Minister Annie Genevard as head of the investiture committee.

But he has surrounded himself with 13 vice-presidents at the head of the Republicans (LR), as well as a renewed political office and investiture committee, announced on Saturday during the party's national council, almost a month after his large victory against Laurent Wauquiez.

The list of 13 vice-presidents unveiled Saturday at the national council meeting at the Mutualité in Paris includes supporters of Laurent Wauquiez during the internal election, including Paris region elected officials Geoffroy Didier and Florence Portelli and Minister Yannick Neuder.

The mayor of Cannes and president of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF) David Lisnard, who created his own party, Nouvelle Energie, associated with LR, is also named vice-president , as are the MEP Céline Imart, the deputies Antoine Vermorel-Marques and François-Xavier Ceccoli, the senators Laurence Garnier and Jacqueline Eustache-Brinio, the former treasurer Daniel Fasquelle, the Marseille elected representative Catherine Pila and the former deputies Julien Aubert and Guillaume Larrivé.

"We are moving forward"

The new leader of the LR also renewed the political bureau and the national investiture committee on Saturday. Laurent Wauquiez had requested representation commensurate with his result (25.7%) in the internal election.

Balances respected? "We are moving forward," Mr. Wauquiez simply replied. Mr. Retailleau has also surrounded himself with four special advisors: MP Michèle Tabarot , former MEP Arnaud Danjean, former president of the CGPME employers' union François Asselin and the president of the government of New Caledonia, Alcide Ponga.

On the substance, a project group also includes Mr. Bellamy, Jean-François Copé, MP Philippe Juvin and senators Christine Lavarde and Jean-François Husson.

The Republicans, who joined the government alongside the Macronists after the dissolution, will hold their national council on Saturday, now chaired by Michel Barnier, in the presence of the president of the European People's Party, the German Manfred Weber.

The LR, which has more than 120,000 members, will hold a congress on the occasion of its summer universities, on September 6 and 7 in Port-Marly (Yvelines).

"There will be no national agreement" but a "case-by-case" agreement with the central bloc in the municipal elections, with two objectives: "To advance LR" and "to block the left" , Mr. Nasrou also explained.