“As long as he is not the leader, he will try to kill everything that moves”: Wauquiez, the incendiary of LR

A recent outreach by Laurent Wauquiez, the head of the Les Républicains (LR) party's deputies in the National Assembly, to former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has stirred significant unease within the party's right wing.

Wauquiez, who had previously been a staunch critic of Philippe, extended a hand of reconciliation, a move that has reportedly irked close allies of Bruno Retailleau, a key figure in the party's conservative faction. These allies are urging that Wauquiez's gesture should not be given undue importance, implying it is a calculated political maneuver rather than a genuine shift in stance.

The internal dissent suggests that Wauquiez's attempt to bridge divides may be perceived as a self-serving tactic, potentially aimed at consolidating his own influence or positioning within the party. The friction underscores the persistent power struggles and ideological differences that continue to shape the landscape of Les Républicains.