Europeans: Bellamy, head of LR list, criticizes ‘individual poaching’ of RN and Renaissance

The head of the Republican list of Europeans, François-Xavier Bellamy, on Monday sharply criticized the “individual poaching” practiced by the RN and the Macron camp on the traditional right. He also said that he “did not vote” in the second round of the presidential elections in 2017, as well as in 2022 for Emmanuel Macron, without specifying whether he gave his vote to Marine Le Pen or abstained.

“We have two political camps that practice individual poaching as if they were the alpha and omega of political vision,” the MEP criticized on France Inter. He criticized the surrounding discourse “which is to make people believe that we are trying to survive, even though we are the only political party in these European elections that did not lie to the French, did not change the line and had a real assessment.”

“I did not vote for Emmanuel Macron”

The LR list has stagnated at around 7-8% of voting intentions, dangerously close to 5%, which is synonymous with extinction in the European Parliament. The announcement this weekend of the arrival of Malika Sorel, a former supporter of François Fillon, as second on the RN list, succeeding Fabrice Leggeri, a former Frontex director, prompted LR president Eric Ciotti on Saturday to call on his voters to “Come Back.” “We will not disappear because the National Rally, like Emmanuel Macron, practices individual poaching,” insisted François-Xavier Bellamy.

Asked how Céline Imar, number two on his list, said she had never voted for Emmanuel Macron, who faced Marine Le Pen twice in the second round of the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, he replied: “We are not going to violate the secrecy of the voting booth, I did not vote for Emmanuel Macron, that’s all I can tell you.”