Maubeuge (AFP)
The ex-LR president of the Hauts-de-France region, Xavier Bertrand, said he was certain of winning over the RN in the second round despite his repeated refusal of any alliance with the LREM, by launching his campaign on Monday for his re-election to the regional.
"I don't know who will be in the lead in the first round", "but by remaining ourselves, we will win on the evening of the second round, I am absolutely convinced", said the current boss of the Region, also presidential candidate, going into regional battle under the slogan "Fight for you".
"Five years ago, we were 16 points behind the FN in the first round, today according to the polls we have progressed by nine points", underlined, during a press conference in Maubeuge, the one who had won the region in 2015 against Marine Le Pen thanks to the withdrawal of the socialist list.
According to a BVA survey for Orange and RTL published on Monday, Xavier Bertrand would be slightly ahead of his RN rival Sébastien Chenu in the first round (with 33% of the vote against 31%), and would largely win in the event of a triangular with the left.
But he would be closely followed by the RN (36% of the vote against 34%) if the head of the list in Marche, Laurent Pietraszewski, was maintained in the second round.
"No alliances in the first round, no alliances in the second, the same list the same project", hammered Mr. Bertrand, again qualifying "a tragic error" the agreement concluded in the Paca region for the withdrawal of the LREM list for the benefit of outgoing president LR Renaud Muselier.
"I accept the fact that it is the same campaign, the regional ones and the presidential one, because it is the same conception that I have, we must straighten our country, the Hauts-de-France will be better if France is better ", also underlined the double candidate.
According to the BVA survey, his presidential ambition would not deter voters from supporting him at the regional level.
"The return of authority throughout the country will also benefit my region, and this Republic of the territories where I want to put an end to this Parisian centralism (...) is what I am carrying in my project", put forward Mr. Bertrand.
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