Rachida Dati at the Sénat in Paris, January 21, 2026. GREGOIRE CAMPIONE/REA
Speaking on a talk show on RMC radio, one commentator expressed his disappointment while listening to Les Républicains' candidate for Paris City Hall, who was invited on Wednesday, January 21. "All this time, I kept thinking, 'But is this really the Rachida Dati we used to know?' You represented something different in politics, and now I see quite a calm, moderate candidate, with pre-prepared talking points, whereas Rachida Dati is usually much more punchy," Antoine Diers, a former spokesperson for the far-right figure Eric Zemmour, told Dati.
With an explosive campaign kickoff, Dati, the mayor of the capital's wealthy 7th arrondissement and France's culture minister, had made an impression. Her viral social media videos broke with tradition, showing her full of energy, often arm-in-arm with voters. Lately, the right-wing candidate backed by part of President Emmanuel Macron's coalition has dialed down her tone. On Sunday, January 18, in front of LR elected officials, she delivered a measured speech, speaking more slowly than usual, urging her activists not to split their votes and to support her from the first round, on March 15.
