Marine Le Pen, tempted to leave the head of the National Rally and discreet so far in the campaign, assured Tuesday “to be there” for the legislative battle, especially in the South where Eric Zemmour competes with him.

“I’m here, I’m here. I’m fighting the legislative battle”, assured the market of Marignane (Bouches-du-Rhône) the former far-right contender for the Elysée, which brought together 41, 5% of the votes in the second round of the presidential election, a record.

Coming on Monday and Tuesday to support the 16 RN candidates from Bouches-du-Rhône, the department which is home to the party’s largest federation, the leader of the RN told the daily La Provence that she wanted to “step back”.

She is thus considering leaving the head of the party to “put (her) energy” in the presidency of the group of RN deputies, she explained during a press briefing. It takes 15 elected to form a group.

In the 12th district of Vitrolles where she won 60% in the presidential election, she particularly hopes to ward off the curse and have her adviser Franck Allisio elected.

Neither Jean-Pierre Stirbois, the former right-hand man of his father Jean-Marie Le Pen, nor Bruno Mégret, the “felon”, nor the MEP RN Jean-Lin Lacapelle succeeded in being elected there.

In Marignane, it is the outgoing right-wing deputy Eric Diard, whom she met on the market, whom she targets: “I am coming to dislodge you”, she says, accusing him of being a “half-macronist” since LREM does not present any candidate against him.

No trip, however, to support the RN candidate for the 4th district of Var where his great rival Eric Zemmour is running, with one of his best presidential scores (14.7%, against 7% nationally).

Marine Le Pen has delegated this task to her faithful lieutenant, Jordan Bardella, acting head of the RN and member of this “new elite” of the party that she wants to bring out on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the party in the fall.

She has already suggested that her foal could one day be a candidate for the Elysée.

Refraining from going to the front line, she considers above all that Emmanuel Macron will win the legislative elections of June 12 and 19 and seeks to preserve her role as the first opponent to the Head of State.

“I’m not leaving losing, I’m leaving telling the truth to the French,” she defends herself, considering that her left-wing rival Jean-Luc Mélenchon “lies” when he claims to be able to obtain a majority and become Prime Minister.

An attitude which has the disadvantage of being “little mobilizing”, analyzes Brice Teinturier, deputy general manager of Ipsos, in the World.

If “some (at the RN) are pessimistic”, “they do not sabotage” the campaign. Simply “they don’t offer anything to win” because “they find it too hard”, reports a manager.

“We have to be tougher” and “no longer let this soft right like butter” get elected, suggests on the market Jean-François, a 74-year-old former paratrooper, who fears being “led by the far left and Muslims”.

In the 2017 presidential election, Marine Le Pen obtained 34% of the votes in the second round but only 8 seats in the legislative elections.

This time, the RN is credited with 21% of voting intentions, according to Ipsos, but it could win 20 to 45 seats.

For Brice Teinturier, Marine Le Pen is “very absent” while her electorate needs a “strong incarnation”, while Mr. Macron benefits from his status as president and Mr. Mélenchon creates momentum with his union of the left (nupes).

Unlike the left, Marine Le Pen did not ally with Reconquest!, the party of Eric Zemmour, a refusal disapproved by 42% of its voters.

What also cause turbulence locally. In the Alpes-Maritimes, the RN refused to invest the ex-identity Philippe Vardon, who finally remained, by joining forces with Reconquête!.

05/24/2022 17:49:33 – Marignane (France) (AFP) – © 2022 AFP