Les Républicains Suspend and Expel Ministers Joining Lecornu II Government Amidst Party Rift
Bruno Retailleau has suspended and expelled several Les Républicains ministers who joined the Lecornu II government against party orders, highlighting deep divisions within the party over government participation.
- • Bruno Retailleau suspended and excluded six LR ministers for joining the Lecornu II government against party directives.
- • Ministers including Annie Genevard and Philippe Tabarot justified their government roles despite sanctions.
- • The party is divided, with senators backing Retailleau and deputies favoring government participation.
- • Retailleau must choose between enforcing sanctions or seeking compromise amid internal tensions.
Key details
Following the formation of the Lecornu II government, Bruno Retailleau, president of the Les Républicains (LR) party, has suspended and ultimately expelled several LR ministers who defied party directives by joining the new government. This move deepens an already significant internal conflict within LR, as Retailleau's authority faces strong challenges.
The party's political bureau had explicitly voted against participation in the government on October 10, yet six members including Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot, Housing Minister Vincent Jeanbrun, Industry Minister Sébastien Martin, and Foreign Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier chose to accept roles in the new government. Genevard, despite joining the government, publicly stressed her unwavering loyalty to LR on social media, while Tabarot cited a sense of responsibility amid a fragile political context as motivation for his decision.
Retailleau announced these ministers could no longer claim affiliation with LR and would be excluded from leadership positions, a sanction reminiscent of past punishments imposed on LR members aligning with Emmanuel Macron’s government in 2017. This split underscores a broader division within LR: the party's senators maintain loyalty to Retailleau’s opposition to the government, whereas a majority of LR deputies favor participation, fearing electoral losses to the National Rally and expressing less allegiance to party discipline after the 2024 elections.
Retailleau had previously signaled his discontent with the government’s composition and warned he would withdraw from leadership should a left-leaning or Macronist Prime Minister be appointed. Nonetheless, the decision of these high-profile members to join the Lecornu II government greatly weakens his position and raises questions about the party’s cohesion.
Looking ahead, Retailleau faces the dilemma of either sustaining a hardline stance against dissenters or pursuing compromise through consultations with party members about government participation. This internal turmoil reflects the increasing challenges LR confronts in balancing party unity with political pragmatism in the current fractious landscape.