Paris, May 19, 2025 — The Europe Today: French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has been elected the new leader of the centre-right Republicans (LR) party, securing a significant internal victory that may bolster his position as a potential candidate in the 2027 presidential election.
Retailleau received just over 74% of the vote in the party’s internal leadership election on Sunday, decisively defeating Laurent Wauquiez, who currently heads the party in France’s National Assembly.
The leadership contest drew public attention amid controversial remarks by Wauquiez, who proposed deporting migrants awaiting removal to Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a remote French overseas territory off Canada’s coast—an idea that sparked widespread criticism across the political spectrum.
Retailleau, who assumed the interior ministry portfolio last year, has prioritized efforts to combat illegal immigration and drug-related crime. However, he has faced mounting pressure over what critics describe as a lack of measurable success in achieving those goals.
His ascent to party leadership comes at a time of shifting dynamics in French politics, marked by the surging popularity of the far-right National Rally (RN) led by Marine Le Pen. The resulting tilt to the right has influenced the agenda and rhetoric of several mainstream parties, including the Republicans.
RN spokesman Laurent Jacobelli accused Retailleau of adopting RN’s political language without delivering results. “Mr. Retailleau’s rhetoric is a clear-cut theft of the National Rally,” he stated. “If we look at his actions, however, there is a gap between rhetoric and reality.”
Founded by former President Nicolas Sarkozy as a successor to Jacques Chirac’s political movement, the Republicans were once a dominant force in French politics. Today, however, the party holds only 48 seats in parliament, trailing far behind the RN’s 123.
Retailleau’s new role is expected to rejuvenate the party’s strategic direction as it looks to regain relevance and consolidate the conservative vote ahead of the next presidential contest.
