Overview
- The party’s strategic council met on November 4 to launch a formal discussion on how to choose its 2027 presidential candidate, including whether to hold a primary.
- A working group proposed by Senate president Gérard Larcher will draft options, with any decision deferred until after the March 2026 municipal elections.
- Bruno Retailleau has pushed for a democratic process and swift clarity, but participants acknowledged the timetable now extends beyond the early schedule initially floated.
- Laurent Wauquiez and David Lisnard favor a broad open primary, Jean‑François Copé backs an open contest, and Xavier Bertrand rejects a new primary, urging polling-based selection and calling for clarity on LR’s stance toward the RN.
- The scope of any contest remains unresolved, with questions over whether figures beyond LR could take part and how to define the perimeter of a potential open primary.