At the UMP, they no longer want to vote again!

In "Politique première" on BFM TV, Anna Cabana, a senior reporter for "Point", explains why more and more leaders are hostile to a new vote.

Jean-Francois Cope and Francois Fillon © Christophe Petit-Tesson / Maxppp

BFM TV: You want to tell us about theUMP. The December 17 agreement between Jean-Francois Cope et François Fillon plans to hold a new vote in September. But there is every reason to think now that this vote will not take place.

Anna Cabana : More and more UMP leaders are in favor of giving up the "revote" - this is the word coined by the UMP, remember, "revote". The only one who really has an interest in this "revote" taking place is Jean-François Copé. But does he even know? Here is the state of the forces involved: François Fillon has "gained altitude", as his relatives say, and this strategy is rather successful for him. Christian Estrosi, who supported him, has already said that voting again in September was a "mistake". Xavier Bertrand, who also supported Fillon, is now testing the idea of "revote" with activists at each of his public meetings. Le Parisien/Today in France of Sunday tells that during a political coffee in Toulouse, very recently, Bertrand apostrophized the room: "Who wants to vote again?" he asked. Out of more than two hundred people present, only six hands were raised! Bertrand certifies that the trend is the same in all federations.

Does that mean activists want the status quo?

This is assured by Xavier Bertrand, who is campaigning for activists to be consulted by referendum on the advisability of voting again in September. Today, this decision belongs to Copé and Fillon since it is the oddly named CRS, you know, the commission for the revision of the statutes, of which Fillon and Copé are the co-presidents, which must confirm, or not, the principle of the revote. Alain Juppé, who always says out loud what others think quietly, recently assured Europe 1: "If today the two parties involved consider that it is no longer useful and that it should not be do, then we can discuss it." We could not prepare the minds better for the cancellation of the September vote...

What will happen now?

It all depends on Cope. It is he who has the most interest in seeing a new vote take place. Otherwise, he will always be an illegitimate president. A copist is worried to see - I quote him - "Jean-François fall into the trap and give up the vote. That would mean that the fillonists have succeeded in their manipulation", he says. Behind the scenes, in fact, Fillon's friends play a little dissuasive music. On the air of Copé should spare himself a new trying campaign, his image is permanently damaged, he will not have time to rebuild his electoral virginity before September. In short, it would be suicide, and at the very least suffering, when he is the president in place, and no one, and especially not Fillon, disputes this title. That's the little music we hear these days. Objective: to dissuade Copé.

The fillonists are the only ones who seek to dissuade Copé?

No. Some of those who are thinking of being a presidential candidate, and not just by shaving, do not want Copé to be re-legitimized by a new vote. Bruno Le Maire is campaigning for a "devitalization" - that's his word - of the September election: he has just said that he does not want the party boss to be a candidate for the 2016 primary. But you know who is the presidential candidate who argues best against holding the September vote? Nicholas Sarkozy!

Every morning, at 6:50 a.m. and 7:50 a.m., Anna Cabana, senior reporter at the Point, deciphers behind the scenes of politics on BFM TV.