13/06/2019 (Agence Europe) – The head of the Renaissance list, Nathalie Loiseau, renounced, on Thursday 13 June, to run for the presidency of the Renew Europe group (ex ALDE) in the European Parliament (see EUROPE 12265/23), a member of the French woman's entourage confirmed to EUROPE. According to this source, faced with a multiplication of candidates, Ms Loiseau did not want this to become a bargaining chip in order to obtain the votes of the various delegations and Renaissance would prefer to favour the political project. While Ms Loiseau consulted members of the Renaissance delegation before withdrawing, she made her decision alone, according to this source. Press articles reporting remarks which she had made in an off-the-record briefing to French media, had damaged the Frenchwoman's candidacy in recent days. (CG)