French Presidential 2022: at Les Républicains, the militants will have to decide
Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France region and presidential candidate, and Damien Abad, leader of Les Républicains deputies in the National Assembly, during the parliamentary days of the Party in Nîmes, September 10, 2021 . AFP - PASCAL GUYOT
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
The right-wing party met this Wednesday evening, September 22, its political bureau.
On the menu, the question that will be asked this Saturday to the activists to choose the method of deciding between the candidates, and secondly the results of the opinion survey ordered by the management on 15,000 French people declaring themselves right-wing to test their candidates for 2022 And the poll does not completely dispel the fog: the Ifop study confirms Xavier Bertrand in his leadership position and the tie-breaker method could well allow him to stay in the game. But Valérie Pécresse is not far away and Michel Barnier confirms his position as third man.
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“
Nobody killed the game, but what is certain is that he is ahead.
"In advance, Xavier Bertrand.
The opinion poll launched by the right-wing party confirms this.
Knowledge of the territories, ability to manage a crisis, to reform or to bring together, in almost all items, the former Minister of Health is in the lead.
And it is, according to the French "
right
" who were surveyed, the most likely to reach the second round.
What to give confidence to his team: "
Xavier Bertrand is in the best position to win,
wants to believe the deputy Pierre-Henri Dumont.
Xavier's door is always open and the right is a big family.
It's time to reunite this family, by the way.
One candidate.
"
►
To listen: The guest of the morning: Damien Abad, president of the group Les Républicains at the National Assembly
Fear of a "wild primary"
But Valérie Pécresse is behind Xavier Bertrand.
And Michel Barnier comes to disrupt this duel, well noted on the international and the stature of president.
"
He crates, anything is possible
", assures a member who supports him.
On Saturday, the activists will decide the tie-breaking method: either a semi-open primary, or a congress reserved for LR members.
If it is a Congress, Xavier Bertrand could submit to it.
An option that makes people cringe in the Pécresse camp.
“
My fear is that in reality, these three candidates who emerge from this poll are organizing themselves with the media today, in France, a wild primary,
confides the deputy Eric Pauget.
A wild primary, we do not manage it, we do not control it.
"
An uncontrolled primary is precisely what the right wanted to avoid at the start.
And to save itself the catastrophe of 2017 when François Fillon's candidacy collapsed because of business, the right-wing party added a special clause to be able to change candidates in the event of a problem.
►
To read also: Presidential 2022: Xavier Bertrand plays appeasement with The Republicans
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Presidential France 2022
French politics