LR Congress: Bertrand responds to criticism of his departure from the party – The HuffPost

@AccountTwitterXavierBertrand

POLICY – Compulsory passages. The five candidates for the nomination The Republicans met this Saturday, November 20 in front of the National Council of their party to defend their program there ten days before the congress which will appoint the representative of the right for the spring 2022.

The time to take a family photo, everyone lent themselves to the exercise on the stage of the Palais des Congrès in Issy-les-Moulineaux. The opportunity for Xavier Bertrand to come back to a recurring criticism in the ranks of Republicans, among activists or elected officials, on his departure in December 2017. A lack of loyalty, according to them, which did not fail to recall Michel Barnier and Eric Ciotti, this Saturday in their speeches in front of the parliament of the party.

“So I know, and I see him saying ‘hello’ and shaking hands. Some are reserved towards me ”, first replied the president of Hauts-de-France as you can. see it below, before recalling his long journey through the mysteries of the training now led by Christian Jacob.

“It’s true that I didn’t accept”

“Yes at one point, I made that choice. And it was not that easy for me who joined the RPR at the time, I was 17 years old. I am committed to Jacques Chirac, his charisma, his energy, launched Xavier Bertrand, I have worked among young people, among the less young, until having this responsibility, this honor that Nicolas Sarkozy entrusted to me. by asking me to preside over our political family ”.

I joined the RPR when I was 16. I signed up for Jacques Chirac, I held office until I had the honor, entrusted by Nicolas Sarkozy, to chair our political family. # CongressLRpic.twitter.com/kHjXejOsO0

– Xavier Bertrand (@xavierbertrand) November 20, 2021

The boss of Hauts-de-France then responded more concretely, recalling that his choice, “final” at the time, to leave Les Républicains was a “choice of conviction”, the day after the election of Laurent Wauquiez to the party presidency.

“I am in one of the most difficult regions for a man on the right and I have always had to fight extremes. (…) I have always fought them, as at the time Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, Philippe Seguin also imposed on our candidates in the regional elections in 1998 not to mix their voices with those of the extreme right. And it is true that the fact that we did not want to take a common position to block the extreme right, I did not accept it ”, thus clarified the one who took his card since – just like Valérie Pécresse.

Targeted “ghosts”

According to several journalists present on the spot, Michel Barnier had, a little earlier, sent a few pikes to his recently returned competitors. “Members, activists, like you, like Nicolas Sarkozy, I have never left the party”, he notably argued, also recalling that he “was never one of those who judged Laurent Wauquiez too right on the subject. ”

Same strategy for Eric Ciotti who did not hesitate to attack the “blasters from within”, without ever citing, like the former negotiator on Brexit, his competitors. “Thank you to Laurent Wauquiez who, the day after the defeat, picked up our flag on the ground”, also greeted the deputy, to better underline the departure of some at that time.

M Barnier addresses a small note to X Bertrand and V Pecresse in the National Council of Republicans: “for my part I have never been one of those who found Laurent Wauquiez too far to the right on this subject” immigration #National council#LR

– Marion Mourgue (@MarionMourgue) November 20, 2021

In turn, @ECiotti tackle the ghosts: “Thank you to L. Wauquiez who, the day after the defeat, picked up our standard on the ground. He resisted with strength and courage the blasters from within and censors from the outside. ” pic.twitter.com/wZljaqqo1H

– Alexandre Chauveau (@ChauveauA) November 20, 2021

A form of split between the “faithful” and the others, which could be the key to the internal ballot. Before that, the various contenders meet again on Sunday for their third debate.