François Baroin, the mayor of Troyes and a member of the LR (Les Républicains) party, has once again expressed his support for Bruno Retailleau, the party's candidate in the upcoming presidential election. Baroin, who has previously been considered a potential presidential candidate himself, emphasized the importance of keeping the "Gaullist family" — a term used to describe the political lineage and values associated with former French President Charles de Gaulle — present in the election. He voiced his backing for Retailleau during the LR party's parliamentary days in the Senate. Baroin believes that Retailleau has the qualities needed to create a surprise in the first round of the election and to secure a strong position in the second round. He compared Retailleau's current campaign to that of Jacques Chirac in 1995, when Chirac started with low poll numbers but ultimately won the presidency. Baroin noted that while there is still work to be done to convince voters, he believes Retailleau has enough strengths to succeed. Baroin acknowledged that many elected officials, association leaders, and French citizens support Retailleau's values and have never backed Macronism, which he views as a political dead end. He argued that keeping Retailleau as the candidate helps preserve the right-wing political space from being tainted by the ten-year record of the current presidential bloc. Baroin criticized, without naming them, the two candidates from the current presidential camp, Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, suggesting that it is hard to be a solution when one is part of the problem. His comments come as the LR party seeks to rally support behind Retailleau and position itself as a strong alternative to the current government.