Rennes (AFP)

A LREM group will see the light of day at the Brittany regional council while joining the majority led by Loïg Chesnais-Girard (PS), announced Richard Ferrand, regional councilor since 2010 and president of the National Assembly, on Friday.

"The majority is strong and plural, strong because plural. This is why the group + La Bretagne en marche + which is going to be formed wants to link its creation to the fundamental act represented by the vote on the budget that you are proposing, Mr. President , with all the members of your executive. We will vote on it! "announced Richard Ferrand during a two-day regional council session which ends on Friday and concerns the 2020 budget.

"Our group will be made up of regional advisers and regional advisers who fully subscribe to your majority and certainly that of the President of the Republic (...). In this way, we are preparing + Brittany with Loïg Chesnais -Girard +! "Added Mr. Ferrand.

The new majority will be made up of a group of social democrats, of which Jean-Yves Le Drian remains a member, of communists, left radicals, regionalists and marchers. The new LREM group, whose members have not been disclosed, should have some 10 advisers out of a majority of 53.

According to Olivier Dulucq, adviser to Richard Ferrand, this decision does not reflect "any divergence with the head of the 2015 list (Jean-Yves Le Drian, editor's note) or any with the current president, but with certain regional advisers of the current majority, who, rather than talking about Brittany, try national politics. "

"It is a new group which fully fits into our majority and which does not change its scope," reacted Loïg Chesnais-Girard.

"This is what everyone wanted, the president of the region is more strengthened than ever because the majority has been clarified," said Martin Meyrier (PS), vice-president responsible for the economy. "On national policy, there are differences of opinion, not on the regional project," he said.

"It is very revealing of a real political divide within the majority, it is a reflection of the difficulties that one feels during the municipal elections," said Marc Le Fur (LR), chief of the 'opposition.

The next regional elections will be held in December 2021.

© 2020 AFP