A Macronist-LR alliance overthrows the left-wing majority in Lozère
Laurent Suau, a former socialist now allied with Emmanuel Macron's camp, was elected president of the Lozère Departmental Council thanks to an unexpected alliance with the right. The mayor of Mende, who had initially supported Sophie Pantel, socialist president of the department since 2015, took the helm of the department after a surprising turnaround.
During the early legislative elections, Suau pushed Pantel to run to prevent a victory for the National Rally and a “rebellious” candidate. He had promised him not to seek succession as president of the department in exchange for reforms in the organization of the council. However, after Pantel's election, Suau found that his demands for reorganization went unanswered, straining their relations.
At a meeting of the county council, Suau decided to run for president. In the first round, he obtained 7 votes, against 10 for Jean-Louis Brun, the candidate of the left, and 9 for Jean-Paul Pourquier, the former UMP president of the department. In a decisive move, Pourquier withdrew in favor of Suau, allowing the latter to win with 16 votes out of 26 in the second round.
This victory marks a shift in the departmental majority towards an alliance between the center and the right, a model that Suau hopes to see reproduced on a national scale. Due to the rules on the accumulation of mandates, Laurent Suau will however have to leave his post as mayor of Mende, while remaining a member of the municipal council, where his successor will soon be chosen.
