It was only a few months ago that the bogeyman of the Paris elite was Jordan Bardella. Now it’s Bruno Retailleau. The 63-year-old practising Catholic may not be able to match the 29-year-old President of the National Rally when it comes to charisma and style, but nonetheless Retailleau has become the darling of the right since he was appointed the minister of the interior last month.
Bardella is troubled by the rise of Retailleau, as is Le Pen and everyone within the National Rally. The party spokeswoman, Laure Lavalette, tried to make a joke of it earlier this month, quipping that Retailleau could do her job such is their alignment on the issues of immigration, Islamism and insecurity. But behind the wisecrack there is a growing concern that the former Senate leader of the centre-right Republican party has presidential ambitions.
Much will happen between now and the 2027 election, but the emergence of Retailleau has caught Le Pen off guard.
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