Just a few months before the municipal elections, tensions are rising within the Republican party in Paris. Rachida Dati, the Minister of Culture and elected official of the 7th arrondissement, confirmed on Monday that she will run in the by-election, even if her own party does not endorse her. This bold stance serves as a warning to the leadership of LR, as Michel Barnier is being internally backed to contest the same seat.
Determined, the former Minister of Justice emphasizes her local roots and her role as an opponent to the Paris city hall. «I am a candidate no matter what happens in this constituency where Parisians are yearning for change! My determination and energy are for them! Paris cannot suffer from ego wars that are foreign to me», she exclusively told Le Parisien.
Far from opting for a conciliatory strategy, she denounces an attempt to «parachute» the former minister, perceived as a national maneuver. «This election cannot merely serve the presidential ambitions of Michel Barnier», she adds, emphasizing that he did not even inform her of his intention to run in her constituency.
«But let’s be honest: (…) Who would accept seeing their territory used to serve a presidential agenda, against their own local momentum? I did not initiate the division. But I will not give in to those whose sole aim is to get elected at my expense.»
In the background, this internal confrontation goes beyond the mere legislative stakes. Less than a year before the municipal elections, the Franco-Moroccan sees this vote as a disguised first round of the battle for Paris. «I have held my ground, built a solid and respected opposition, and today, this work is paying off as the polls put me far ahead», she insists, referring to the latest Ifop survey.
The support of the president of Hauts-de-France, Xavier Bertrand, has bolstered her approach through a letter, despite the lack of consensus within the party. As for the criticisms related to her indictment in the Renault-Nissan case, her entourage dismisses them: no hearing is expected before the summer of 2026, well after the electoral deadlines.