Nicolas Beytout 7:57 am, November 24, 2021

Every morning, Nicolas Beytout analyzes political news and gives us his opinion.

This Wednesday, he is interested in Renaud Muselier who declared loud and clear that he had decided to support Xavier Bertrand for the Republicans primary.

The latter very quickly made it known that he did not want such support.

The president of the Provence Alpes-Côte d'Azur region unleashed a small storm this Tuesday within his Les Républicains party.


Ah, that's good old-fashioned policy, that of settling scores, of petty hatred. That of local detestations that are hidden behind great national causes. Renaud Muselier is one of the most important politicians in the South region, he presides over one of the most powerful regions of France. He is a political animal of the race of those who know how to win difficult elections, turn around lost situations, in short, he has talent. But he has a handicap: he hates his neighbor, in this case, Eric Ciotti, the president of the Alpes-Maritimes department, who gives him back. It's the one who will be the meanest.

This Tuesday, therefore, Renaud Muselier declared loud and clear that he had decided to support Xavier Bertrand for the Republicans primary.

Until then, it's classic.

What is less is that he takes the opportunity to demolish the candidate Eric Ciotti by accusing him, among other things, of being a false nose of the far-right and by promising, if this one wins the primary, to leave the party immediately to join Emmanuel Macron.

Hello the mood.


Except that Xavier Bertrand reacted very quickly: he does not want such support.

You know the quote from Voltaire: "Keep me from my friends, my enemies, I'll take care of it".

Xavier Bertrand was right to reject the hand extended by Renaud Muselier: with such friends, fire could resume within the house of Les Républicains.

So far, one of the most notable successes of this long, long procedure put in place to nominate the right-wing candidate for the presidential election, is that the five candidates have not torn between them. The televised debates were well held, the presentations in front of the activists, without always being in the Care Bear mode, remained correct, there was no blood spilled.

What a contrast to the atmosphere of 5 years ago. The Fillon, Juppé, Sarkozy, were not spared, we felt the weight of disputes between these big beasts of politics. It had also cost dearly to the winner of the primary, François Fillon, who found himself unable to recreate a unit (even from the front) after his very clear victory against Alain Juppé. The resentment was too heavy. And there will forever remain a suspicion about the origin of the leak which will give birth to the case of the fictitious employment of Pénélope Fillon.

This is why, today, the brutality with which Renaud Muselier motivated his support for Xavier Bertrand, and the virulence with which Eric Ciotti responded to him, could give a dangerously explosive cocktail.

And demolish the weak chances that the winner of the primary will have to gather his camp.

Many of the Republican leaders avoid speaking out for this or that.

Some are revealed anyway, for example Guillaume Larrivé, the deputy for Yonne and ex-candidate for the presidency of the Republicans, also very good specialist in security and police issues, who announces that he will support Valérie Pécresse (c is an interview published in the Opinion).

But it's true, most are waiting to see more clearly.

You can call it opportunism, or prudence, but what is certain is that it will facilitate all the rallies and the creation of a dynamic at the end of the primary, when it will be necessary.

Conversely, if the match thrown by Renaud Muselier had lit the fire, then that was the end of the (small) chances of the Republicans party to play a winning card in the next presidential election.