How far away is the time when the Republic on the march (LaREM) boasted of reinventing politics. “This movement will not be a political movement like the others! “ proudly launched the candidate Emmanuel Macron, in the middle of the presidential campaign. More than four years after its creation, the corporate party – based on the start-up model – is struggling to exist, whether with ordinary citizens or with its supporters.
“It is a puppet party, which has never taken into account the proposals of the committees. The Republic on the move has never had the slightest political line, has not been able to set red lines not to be exceeded ”, analysis Émilie Cariou, member of the Meuse who resigned in 2020 from LaREM and the group of the presidential majority in the Assembly. The one who co-founded since the young political party The New Democrats ensures: “ It is useless and follows, according to the wind, the moods of the president. I don’t call it a political party. What is their vision of the fight against tax injustices or discrimination? They have nothing to offer. ” At the Parisian HQ of En Marche, we highlight the online consultation launched on 5G which collected “9,000 responses” and the 15 proposals on the “separatism” law, inspired by the government project. Very meager contributions which do not constitute an ideological base, nor even a flagship proposal.
A glaring lack of local anchoring
These difficulties are not surprising for a party which accuses a glaring lack of local anchoring, illustrated by the municipal elections of 2020 and the last partial legislative elections. But LaREM still claims “400,000” members online. A figure which does not however make a reality, especially as the militant base is eroding. “I sounded the alarm bells on my constituency, says Fiona Lazaar, the former LaREM deputy of Val-d’Oise. I work with a nucleus of activists, but we are facing a movement which is struggling to structure itself, to support its activists. For example, it is not possible to have a departmental room where they can meet and use a photocopier to print local leaflets. We have leaflets that come once a year from the national. There is a lot of superficial communication, but, da ns the bottom, the account is not there. ” In the Macronist ranks, the disappointment is heavy. Many no longer claim the famous balance of ” at the same time And regret the government’s right to immigration, security and identity.
“There are cleavages on which we must position ourselves”, concedes Roland Lescure, spokesperson for the En Marche movement and member of the executive committee, citing the subject of secularism as an example. In the meantime, the party tinkers. The successive resignations of the number two of the party, Pierre Person, of Sacha Houlié, of the executive office, and of the former spokesperson Aurore Bergé have the merit of revealing the unease that plagues the formation, but did not change anything in this stage. If new referents will be appointed by the national leadership at the end of February, the renewal of the bodies will take place after the holding of regional elections, that is to say certainly in June.
No clear strategic direction
After the debacle of the last municipal elections, Stanislas Guerini, faithful among the faithful of Emmanuel Macron, knows that he is expected at the turn. “We took a very important decision within the presidential majority. It is to prepare and conduct this election in a united manner, as we did for the European elections, because the issues that are before us are issues that unite us ”, declared the boss of LaREM at the microphone of Grand Rendezvous,on Europe 1. But, no clear strategic orientation, nor any strong personality has emerged for the moment. The ministers are even called to the rescue. Without a structure and with a weak territorial anchorage, Emmanuel Macron is also counting on government troops to hammer home his will not to let go of anything for the next presidential election. Hence the executive’s seminar held this Wednesday and the communication operation on “a year of combat, revival, ambition”, which could not be lacking in the process.
