LR Presidency: Retailleau wins by a landslide, a new lease of life on the right in sight for 2027?

It's a landslide victory. Bruno Retailleau was elected president of the LR party on Sunday evening, with 74.3% of the vote. Turnout reached over 80%. The Interior Minister significantly widened the gap with his rival Laurent Wauquiez (25.7%). From his stronghold of Le Puy-en-Velay, Laurent Wauquiez acknowledged his defeat and called for avoiding "the poison of division that has so often weakened the right." Prime Minister François Bayrou offered his "warm congratulations [...] to his Interior Minister on his magnificent victory."

A guest on TF1's 8pm news yesterday evening, Bruno Retailleau welcomed this sweeping victory, placing his success in the perspective of the 2027 presidential election : "It's an important step. The greatest pride of my campaign is that I wanted to bring back people who had left us, and they did."

He is already planning ahead: "What we can do with activists, I am sure that tomorrow, at another stage, we will be able to do with voters."

"I want to work because I believe that our political family is capable of carrying our project forward for the presidential election today," he imagines.

He continues: "I felt that we had awakened a form of pride, many of our voters who had left us rediscovered this pride in being right-wing. We were able to speak to them and we were credible."

Now it's time to rebuild the party to prepare for the upcoming elections. "For once, for now, everything's going well on the right!" This party leader is relieved by the gap opened by Bruno Retailleau. "Things are clear," says one loyalist. This should strengthen the legitimacy of the now-president of the party and avoid, for the time being, any temptation of internal warfare. This score is "validation of Bruno Retailleau's strategy," continues an LR MP.

This view was shared by the reinvigorated activists at the party headquarters this Sunday evening, whom RMC met. Acclaimed by his supporters and then surrounded by LR leaders at the party headquarters, such as Senate President Gérard Larcher , former Prime Minister Michel Barnier and MEP François-Xavier Bellamy, Bruno Retailleau wants to open a new page for the right: "We have given rise to real hope. We have transformed this hope into a great victory." Activists like Jean-Louis are reinvigorated.

"I can breathe, because the right is finding its way again, its true way," exclaims the supporter.

The path to action, Noël insists. Bruno Retailleau's result puts paid to his rival's argument that the right is being diluted by Macronism: "He entered the government to do something, he took the risk. It's not 100% results, but there are results, and that has had an impact. I think people thought that with more resources, he would do better, but given the situation he's in, it's already working."

Does that mean he's a potential candidate for 2027? "Obviously." According to Christophe, he can appeal to people outside his own camp: "Of course, he can convince anyone."

"Beyond even his right-wing ideas, he is someone with a broad mind, a skeleton," continues Christophe, an activist.

Firm in his position, Bruno Retailleau remains in government, for the time being. And this choice "removes any notion of dilution of the right in Macronism," insists a prominent LR figure.

Bruno Retailleau wants to keep moving. Starting today, he'll juggle his schedule as minister and party president, settling into the headquarters ahead of meetings this week to set up the governing bodies and determine how much space will be given to Laurent Wauquiez. As for 2027? Bruno Retailleau "doesn't think about it every morning while shaving," smiles a close friend, but this victory "may give him strength."