Michel Rose, Elizabeth Pineau

PARIS (Reuters), Emmanuel Macron, French President is creating an electoral campaign machine stacked by former conservative insiders because he realizes he must win more centre-right voters in order to get a second term.

Macron, aged 43, hasn’t yet declared his candidacy. Two sources close to Macron told Reuters, however that the campaign team was being built behind closed doors. The campaign team will include former members of Nicolas Sarkozy’s centre-right party.

Ex-Sarkozy loyalists have a prominent place in the campaign. This is a hint at the policies that they will follow. A focus will be on identity and immigration, as well as the economy during a period of rising energy prices.

Long-held beliefs that April’s run-off would see Macron again as a Minister in the Socialist government and Marine Le Pen as far-right leader have been rewritten by Eric Zemmour, a right-wing celebrity chat-show host. This could alter France’s electoral dynamics.

However, his ascent has divided the far-right vote, and could present the centre with an open door for the second round, which would be the most risky scenario for Macron.

Macron’s overseas minister Sebastien Lcornu (a former conservative prodigy of 35 years) has been chosen by Macron to lead the campaign. This is the most obvious indication of Macron’s thinking about where the battle for 2022 will take place, according to two sources. However, this role, like 2017 will remain unofficial and not made public.

Lecornu started canvassing for Sarkozy as a 16-year-old when he entered politics. When he was 18, he became the mayor of Normandy’s small city. He then became Sarkozy’s youngest adviser to government at age 22.

Sources said Lecornu had been given this task. It is unlikely that Lecornu would admit to it, if you just ask. Confirming would signify that the president is running.”

Lecornu did not confirm or deny the role. His campaign experience as a two-time mayor, senator and head regional, led to him saying that he was a genuine grassroot politician. That’s an advantage in the competitive world of Macron: there isn’t many elected officials.

Macron had never been elected before becoming president.

Macron’s team responded to questions about Lecornu by saying: “It doesn’t mean anything. We’re not in campaign as you know. The president isn’t a candidate.”

DRIFT RICH

This conservative tone is a departure from Macron’s strategy for 2017, when the ex-investment banker ran as an outsider and declared to neither the right nor the left, sparking the country’s main parties.

It was later revealed that his campaign had been run by Jean-Marie Girier (a lesser-known Socialist Party figure), who has maintained a low profile ever since.

Macron has moved to the right during a period of turmoil in which his economic reforms were criticized and he was attacked by militants.

According to a source from the government, “It’s obvious that the center of gravity of this campaign will be located on the right.”

Some of Macron’s conservative allies are causing anxiety among left-leaning members of his team, who helped him win the presidency in 2017. They were widely known as the “Macron Boys”, mainly men between 20 and 30 years old.

A source with political experience from the left said that he was informed Lecornu would be running the campaign. I’m not a Lecornu fan. Macron will, however, be the campaign manager.

Macron will still seek to maintain centrist appearances by giving prominent public roles to two rising stars from left-wing backgrounds, Clément Beaune, his Europe minister, and Gabriel Attal, his government spokesman, two of the sources said.

NUMBER ONE TARGET

According to opinion polls, Xavier Bertrand would be the one who gives Macron the most trouble in a second round run-off election. A razor thin 51%-49% victory for Macron was projected by a survey.

According to presidential strategists, he will continue to defend his position on immigration, national identity, and security. The traditional electoral territory of the political right is the political left. Macron’s greatest chance for poaching centre-right voters lies within the economy.

According to one source, Lecornu was identified as the campaign chief. They expected Le Pen or Zemmour would push the centre right further into the fringes regarding immigration and identity. This could alienate more conservative voters who are more focused on economic concerns.

We want to achieve the economic right. It is currently two-thirds of ours. Source said that our top priority is to win the remaining third.

Macron did not create a manifesto. However, another rebellious conservative has been behind Macron’s covert deals to subvert his former political family.

One source claims that Thierry Solere created a rift within the centre right Les Republicains party by brokering a deal between the party’s candidate, and Macron’s centrist Party during the regional elections this summer in Provence.

In the midst of the chaos, he wooed Toulon and Nice’s centre-right mayors, who then supported Macron in the race for 2022 to the disadvantage of the eventual candidate of their party.

Solere’s actions are a sign that he believes, five years after winning power in France by promising to eliminate the “old-world” French politics, Macron has little chance of winning another mandate. Instead of an agrarian redrawing of political territory, Macron uses the old strategy of trying to encroach on his rivals’ territories.

We can’t use the “change” card. He is an incumbent. He’s an incumbent.