Overview

• Barnier officially declared his bid on July 15 for the September by-election in Paris’s 2nd constituency after the Constitutional Council invalidated Jean Laussucq’s mandate over campaign finance irregularities.
• He positioned his campaign as a gathering of right-wing and centrist allies to deliver a strong, reliable voice for the district’s three arrondissements.
• Les Républicains president Bruno Retailleau hailed the move as “a triple chance for Paris, for LR and for France” and committed to fast-tracking Barnier’s nomination.
• Under French electoral law, the vacancy must be filled within three months, scheduling the by-election before mid-October.
• A victory would make Barnier the only LR deputy representing Paris and could narrow Renaissance’s slender majority in the National Assembly.