Aurélien Pradié, a member of the LR party from Lot, participated in the political bureau meeting of Les Républicains at the Musée social in Paris on June 12, 2024. In 2023, during the pension reform, Pradié had challenged Eric Ciotti’s authority, resulting in him losing his position as the party’s number two. However, he voted, along with the rest of the political bureau, to exclude Ciotti from the party after the announcement of his agreement with the Rassemblement national (RN). Pradié sees this crisis as an opportunity for the republican right to rebuild, possibly even with a new party name.
The decision to exclude Eric Ciotti from Les Républicains was made unanimously by the party leaders, a rare occurrence. Pradié believes that when the stakes are high, differences can be set aside. He criticizes Ciotti for sacrificing the history of the Gaullist right by aligning with the extreme right, accusing him of contributing to the decay of political behavior and dishonoring the party’s code of honor. Pradié expresses his disappointment in the prevalence of betrayal in politics, where leaving one’s party for a ministerial position has become common practice.
Pradié had suspected Ciotti of being willing to “sell” himself for a ministerial position and had seen him tempted by the Macron administration after the pension reform incident in 2023. He considers Ciotti’s actions dishonorable and opportunistic, reducing politics to a quest for honors and superficialities. Pradié views the current crisis within LR as an opportunity for the party to assert its independence and redefine its identity as a republican right, emphasizing the need to avoid desperate governance strategies such as aligning with Macron or Le Pen.
The representative expresses concern that LR may have lost its ability to inspire hope in its members and voters, leading some to consider alliances with different political forces in pursuit of victory. Pradié is determined to reinvigorate the party’s sense of purpose and values, steering it away from engaging in political shenanigans and distractions. He warns against the dangerous trend of focusing on political spectacles and urges LR to break free from the cycle of entertaining but ultimately futile political maneuvers perpetuated by Macron and others.
Pradié believes that LR must resist the urge to compromise its principles for short-term gains and instead focus on offering a viable alternative to the current political landscape dominated by Macron, Le Pen, and Mélenchon. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining integrity and commitment to core values in order to regain the trust and support of the French people. By positioning LR as a beacon of hope and stability amidst political turbulence, Pradié seeks to restore a sense of purpose and direction within the party, ensuring its relevance and credibility in the face of complex challenges and choices ahead.
