The man speaking to you this morning is not a candidate in the...
In 2016, despite the 1,012 pages of his platform for the UMP primary, Bruno Le Maire had obtained only 2.38% of the vote.
Pierre-Louis Crescitz
france, europe, economie, bruno le maire, mélenchon, salaire, fonctionnaires hausse, candidat
Key facts
In 2016, despite the 1,012 pages of his platform for the UMP primary, Bruno Le Maire had won only 2.38% of the vote.
The speech delivered was nonetheless that of a candidate, at a time when the right and the centrist bloc remain mired in a multiplicity of…
While these forces flounder in their internal debates and sink in the polls, the former minister is trying to embody an alternative, without owning up to it.
In 2016, despite the 1,012 pages of his platform for the UMP primary, Bruno Le Maire had won only 2.38% of the vote.
The speech delivered was nonetheless that of a candidate, at a time when the right and the centrist bloc remain mired in a multiplicity of candidacies and in an inability to find an undisputed leader.
While these forces flounder in their internal debates and sink in the polls, the former minister is trying to embody an alternative, without owning up to it.
According to him, one must"reduce the role of the welfare state in order to lower payroll charges, and you will have better wages."He also proposes a reform of social protection.
Dig deeper
Who is Bruno Le Maire?
A former minister of the Economy and Finance who moved from the UMP, then Les Républicains, to the Macronist camp, he is a figure of the centrist bloc without, at this stage, being a declared candidate.
What is the UMP?
The Union for a Popular Movement was the main party of the French right; it has since taken the name Les Républicains.
What is the right-wing primary referred to here?
It is the internal ballot by which the right chooses its candidate for the presidential election; in 2016, Le Maire failed in it despite a lengthy platform.
What does the welfare state refer to?
It is the set of public protections (health care, pensions, benefits) that Le Maire wants to reduce in order to lighten payroll charges and, according to him, raise wages.
Why does this public statement matter?
It comes as the right and the centrist bloc are struggling to designate a leader, and it resembles a candidate’s speech without an openly declared candidacy.