UK Edition
Party of Sarkozy faces split as populist set to win leadership of French conservatives
A populist accused of flirting with the far-Right was set to become leader of the conservative party of Nicolas Sarkozy, The Republicans, on Sunday.
Laurent Wauquiez was expected to win a party election by a wide margin, making a second-round vote unnecessary, but he is a divisive figure.
He campaigned on nationalist policies that unsettled more moderate Republicans, including Alain Juppé, a popular former prime minister.
Mr Wauqiez, 42, a former Europe Minister in Mr Sarkozy’s government, acknowledged that he faced a challenge uniting the party.
“I will stretch out my hand to everyone,” he said. “Ruffled egos will have no place in the reconstruction of our political family.”
The party once dominated French politics but was battered by the financial scandal that sank its presidential candidate, François Fillon, this year. Since the May election, it has haemorrhaged support to the centrist party of President Emmanuel Macron.
Mr Macron named a conservative prime minister, Edouard Philippe, who was subsequently expelled by The Republicans for accepting the post, along with more than 20 Republican MPs who agreed to work with the Macron government. The MPs have launched a new centre-Right party.
The Republicans’ membership has fallen to under 235,000 and its finances have dwindled, forcing the party to sell its headquarters after the election.
Its traditional centrist allies, the UDI party and the Parti Radical, have said they will sever their ties with The Republicans if Mr Wauquiez becomes leader.
Mr Juppé, who served in the same government as Mr Wauquiez, praised Mr Macron in the run-up to the party vote.
Mr Sarkozy urged Mr Wauquiez to seek broader-based support to avoid a party split. “Someone who does not unite, who thinks a political group is a sect, cannot defend his convictions,” Mr Sarkozy said.
A party official said: “Nicolas Sarkozy is giving him [Mr Wauquiez] advice but I’m not sure he’s following it.”