Céline Imart, European Parliament member and president of the Tarn federation of Les Républicains, gathered 300 activists in Montans to launch Bruno Retailleau's presidential campaign.
The political gathering at Domaine Carcenac comes eight months before the first round of the French presidential election. The event marked the start of the political season for the conservative party in the southwestern department, following candidate Bruno Retailleau's initial campaign launch in Albi on April 23.
Addressing the crowd of local mayors, party militants, and candidates from past municipal elections, Imart emphasized national priorities over her European legislative work in Strasbourg. She stated that Retailleau had established an extremely clear framework focused on a return to core conservative values.
Imart issued an immediate directive to the assembled supporters, asking each activist to leave the meeting with a mission to convince at least one new voter outside the party's traditional base. She expressed hope that members had enjoyed their summer, warning that the political year ahead would not be restful and would require continuous effort.
Les Républicains is France's main traditional center-right political party, currently seeking to rebuild its electorate following recent national electoral challenges. Imart, a former agricultural union leader who was elected to the European Parliament in June 2024, leads the party's departmental organization in Tarn, a region anchored by the major towns of Albi and Castres.
Criticism of political rivals
During her address, Imart attacked candidates from opposing political camps who have declared their presidential ambitions. She accused left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon of fracturing French society through divisive political stances.
She also targeted former prime ministers Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, describing them as continuations of Emmanuel Macron's presidency. Imart argued that state authority and governance had consistently retreated under their leadership.
Mélenchon leads the left-wing La France Insoumise movement, which carried out local outreach in the department over the summer, including a popular caravan stop in the Lameilhé district of Castres on July 21. Meanwhile, supporters of Attal, who leads Macron's Renaissance party, also campaigned actively across Tarn during the summer months.
Internal warnings and campaign strategy
To energize the local party structure, Imart invited Robert Ménard, the mayor of Béziers, as a guest speaker. Ménard, an independent right-wing figure, praised Retailleau's platform while mocking the internal squabbles that have plagued the conservative party in recent months.
Ménard delivered a direct warning to the audience, telling activists that unless they moved with greater energy, the party faced defeat in the upcoming presidential election. His remarks aimed to spur immediate grass-roots activism across the department's municipalities.
Ménard has served as mayor of Béziers, a city in the neighboring Hérault department in the Occitanie region, since 2014. Known for his outspoken conservative positions, he remains a prominent independent voice on the French political right, frequently commenting on national political developments.
Upcoming Senate elections
Before the presidential contest, Les Républicains face an immediate electoral test in the Tarn department on September 27 during the French Senate elections. The party aims to mobilize its network of local elected officials who participate in the voting process for the upper house.
Pierre-Marie Sènes, an elected official from Albi, and Sophie Assemat, the first deputy mayor of Labruguière, will represent the party in the race for seats at the Luxembourg Palace in Paris. Party leaders view the senatorial vote as a key preliminary measure of their local organizational strength.
