Presidential: Xavier Bertrand proposes a pact of "dialogue" and "respect" to LR

Europe 1 with AFP 3:49 p.m., September 10, 2021

Xavier Bertrand, ex-LR candidate in the presidential election, offered his former party on Friday a pact of "dialogue" and "respect", asking for the "support" of his political family even if he still refuses to comply to a primary. "I have come to tell you how we are going to win this election", launched the president of Hauts-de-France at the outset during the parliamentary days of LR in Nîmes, which this year had the appearance of "great oral" of the right since each potential candidate came to present his project. "I have a duty to win, I have no right to lose", added Xavier Bertrand, the best placed on the right in the polls even if his lead over Valérie Pécresse (ex-LR) was reduced in recent weeks.

The "talent" of Valérie Pécresse and the "determination" of Eric Ciotti

And "I cannot imagine for a single moment winning this election without the support, without the help of my political family," he said, promising that "LR will be the large majority of (his) majority".

Xavier Bertrand, applauded during and after his intervention, recognized it: "I know that I have to convince" and "I need to make more efforts than others".

But he posed as a unifier, saluting the "talent" of Valérie Pécresse, the "height of view" of Michel Barnier, the "determination" of Eric Ciotti and the "knowledge" of Philippe Juvin, as well as Laurent Wauquiez without who he "does not imagine that we are campaigning".

So many tenors gathered Thursday evening in Nîmes for a dinner whose photography was widely distributed on social networks. "We are gathered. We are ready," tweeted LR boss Christian Jacob. "The beginnings of a common candidacy were thrown yesterday", welcomed the boss of deputies LR Damien Abad according to whom Xavier Bertrand "took a step towards us".

This evening "was a marker of an important stage", estimated Xavier Bertrand, because "beyond the positions, we realized that it is the same family".

In this logic he proposed three commitments: "that we dialogue and that we see each other", then "that we respect each other permanently and that we never attack each other" because "we will need at the end of the year to meet again ".

Finally "that we work together around the project led by Les Républicains", whose framework is according to him "clearly what the French expect".

"Interference in a process in which he does not want to participate"

The president of Hauts-de-France, however, reiterated his opposition to the primary, a "dividing machine" because "we are looking for differences which become oppositions and this complicates the moment of the rally". In a few weeks, "it is the governing bodies that will offer to provide support to one or a candidate," explained Xavier Bertrand.

LR must indeed decide on September 25 the mode of designation of its candidate, while the direction remains hostile to the idea of ​​a primary, and is considering the possibility of a congress of the militants to decide. "In a nutshell, what he says is 'don't do the primary so as not to marginalize me', it's a bit of an interference in a process in which he does not want to participate while Valérie Pécresse, she, is submits ", noted a relative of the president of Ile-de-France after the speech.