Before the Republican Congress, Eric Ciotti protests against the distribution of a consultation of members by the Retailleau camp

The deputy Les Républicains (LR) Eric Ciotti, candidate for the presidency of the party, announced Thursday, November 16 on Twitter that he had seized the high authority of LR to protest against the dissemination to members of “fake polls” can, according to him, “to have a real impact” on the ballot. The deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes is regularly presented as the favorite of the ballot, the first round of which will take place on December 3.

In question: a consultation launched by Oser la France, the movement of the former deputy Julien Aubert, today spokesperson for Bruno Retailleau, the boss of right-wing senators and competitor of Mr. Ciotti in the race for the presidency of LR, and distributed via a party newsletter to all members.

“Real maneuver”

This consultation, which presents the responses of 2,549 LR members, gives 46% of the votes to Bruno Retailleau in the first round, 33% to Eric Ciotti and 13% to Aurélien Pradié. In the second round, Bruno Retailleau is declared the winner.

“This false consultation devoid of any scientific value is a real maneuver to manipulate activists”says Eric Ciotti in his letter to the president of the high authority of LR, Henri de Beauregard, which Agence France-Presse was able to consult.

“By relaying this information, Les Républicains accredit to our members the validity of such a consultation”adds the deputy, who asks that a “immediate rectification” be addressed to the militants to specify the conditions and the origin of this consultation.

For the sake of equality, Les Républicains have decided to centralize communication by sending members a weekly newsletter compiling the information that the three candidates want to pass on. But “the party only relays and does not control what the candidates wish to communicate”we underline at LR.

In the Retailleau camp, it is assured that it is indeed not a question “not a survey but a consultation”and it should be noted that certain supporters of Eric Ciotti had not hesitated to broadcast on social networks the results of the same consultation in September, when it placed the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes in the lead.

The three candidates will meet Monday evening on the LCI set for the only televised debate organized before the first round. A “grand oral” before the national council of the party is also planned for Saturday 26 at the headquarters of LR.