Lens (AFP)

Marine Le Pen and Eric Dupond-Moretti delivered their first pass on Saturday in the Pas-de-Calais, the day after the announcement by the Minister of Justice of his candidacy for regional, to prevent "this land spinning in the hands of the RN ".

The president of the National Rally and Member of Parliament for Pas-de-Calais opened hostilities, mocking the minister's "relatively strange obsession (...)" towards her, at the end of the May 8 ceremony in the RN stronghold of Hénin-Beaumont.

"It seems that there are a few anti-reconciliation bracelets left, I'm a taker," she quipped.

"A bit of decency in rab perhaps?", Reacted immediately on Twitter the Minister for Citizenship Marlène Schiappa.

Ms. Le Pen's reference to the protection system for victims of violence was described as "abject" by the president of the LREM group in the National Assembly, Christophe Castaner.

The RN is credited with following the list of ex-LR and outgoing boss of the region Xavier Bertrand.

The minister raised the glove during a visit announced at the last moment, his first after the announcement of his candidacy in Pas-de-Calais, alongside the head of the LREM list Laurent Pietraszewsksi.

- "Marine Le Peste" -

On a popular market in Lens, he described the RN as "a real danger to democracy", then driving the point home in front of the press after the rise of a nearby slag heap in the company of Marchers.

"Everything that Marine Le Peste, Marine Le Pen wears, I hate it," he said, replacing the "scandalous jokes" of the person in the legacy of her father.

"Every time there is a misfortune in this country, the FN rakes in," he lamented.

On the market, the staging of the confrontation, in the logic of the presidential majority, earned him positive feedback: "Come on, get rid of Marine", launched a trader, "we are afraid of the FN , it is not necessary it is not possible ", developed a client, ex-militant of the" march of the Beurs ".

But the former star of the courtrooms, a novice in politics and who has ruled out resigning, was also questioned about his functions and the shortcomings of the fight against violence against women.

"Justice, it is rotten, like the government, it is necessary to restore the death penalty", jostled a passerby.

"It's a caricature (...) it's not me who dispenses justice" he tried to dialogue, invoking the popular jurors.

In particular accompanied by Tiphaine Auzière, daughter-in-law of the Head of State, the Keeper of the Seals scratched the passage Xavier Bertrand who conditioned his candidacy for the presidential election to his victory in the Regional.

If he is elected, the LREM candidate will "remain" in the Region, underlined Mr. Dupond-Moretti.

"Xavier Betrand is an adversary, not an enemy," he then established.

- "Parachutes" -

The mobilization of this government heavyweight also aims to weaken the one who sees himself as the "third man" of the presidential election, in particular by placing him in the event of maintenance of the LREM in the second round in the face of a tough choice.

Xavier Bertrand won the region in 2015 over Marine Le Pen, who came first in the first round, thanks to the withdrawal of the PS.

The Bertrand camp immediately ruled out any alliance: "if they pass the 10% mark", LREM will have to withdraw if it wants to block the RN, Pierre-Henri Dumont reaffirmed Friday, LR deputy of Pas-de -Calais.

"Dupond-Moretti did not dare to stand (...) in the canton of Henin-Beaumont (...) and Marine Le Pen did not have the guts to stand against Xavier Bertrand (...) ) And yet it brings her back and it grinds arms ... ", also mocked on Twitter, for the LR camp, the mayor of Touquet Daniel Fasquelle.

He castigated "two parachutes" on BFMTV, while the Keeper of the Seals, a native of Maubeuge and long at the Lille bar, highlights his links with the region.

Ms. Le Pen, who does not represent herself for the regional, is a candidate for the departmental in the canton of Hénin-Beaumont.

Xavier Bertrand, for his part, tweeted a few lines from Jean de La Fontaine on Friday: "The best crafted trick / Can harm its inventor / And often perfidy / Go back to its author".

© 2021 AFP