Former Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, eliminated on Sunday in the first round of the legislative elections in the 4th constituency of Loiret, will file an appeal, he announced Monday, June 13 on BFMTV. According to the final results of the Ministry of the Interior, the ex-minister came in third position with 18.89% of the vote. He arrived behind the Nupes candidate Bruno Nottin (19.43%) and Thomas Ménagé (31.45%) for the National Rally. Only 189 votes separate the former minister from the Nupes candidate, depriving him of accession to the second round.

“Candidate Nupes in my constituency is behaving outrageously all the time, his verbal abuse is extreme, he has repeatedly attacked me in unacceptable ways,” the former minister told BFMTV. “I will take legal action on this election because the candidate who passed me with 180 votes, that is to say very few, violated several electoral rules during the campaign,” he announced.

“Making Facebook posts that are sponsored towards voters is prohibited, such as bringing in people to parody me and editing fliers that imitate my fliers by saying inaccurate things, a whole host of things that knowingly violate the rules of the election. Everything seems permitted to them,” he added. The former minister had a rowdy campaign, where he was constantly attacked on his record at National Education, and was sprayed with whipped cream on a market by two angry teachers.

The fourth constituency of Loiret, centered on Gâtinais, was left vacant by outgoing deputy Jean-Pierre Door (LR). Aged 80, the latter had decided not to run after four consecutive terms.