Xavier Bertrand at Matignon? At least that is the hypothesis discussed by Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of the right this Tuesday morning according to the Les Républicains group. According to the president’s entourage, the latter continues to “test the Xavier Bertrand and Bernard Cazeneuve hypotheses” without indicating whether the LR track is favored.
As part of the consultations to appoint a new tenant at Matignon, the guests paraded at the Élysée this Monday. Bernard Cazeneuve, François Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Xavier Bertrand, François Bayrou, Gabriel Attal, Gérard Larcher… so many people to gather opinions and discuss and yet no white smoke seems to escape. If Thierry Beaudet, current president of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) still seems to be in the running, Xavier Bertrand is now being mentioned.
Testing the hypotheses of Xavier Bertrand and Bernard Cazeneuve
Minister of Health under the Dominique de Villepin government from 2005 to 2012 and Minister of Labor in the three governments of François Fillon, his name came up during meetings with the leaders of the right Gérard Larcher, Laurent Wauquiez and Bruno Retailleau. The latter assured that they would not oppose his nomination, LR sources told AFP, confirming information from Le Parisien.
The leaders of the right, however, set two conditions for the head of state: “that he take a look around to ensure that the nomination of Xavier Bertrand does not have a majority of censure against it (and) that he take up the legislative pact presented by LR”, the sources specified.
For its part, the entourage of the President of the Republic confirmed these interviews by adding that Emmanuel Macron continues “to test the hypotheses of Xavier Bertrand and Bernard Cazeneuve”, without indicating whether the LR track is favored.
The discussions with the leaders of the right were conducted while the candidacy mentioned on Monday of the president of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) Thierry Beaudet, seems to be running out of steam and “the wind is blowing rather towards Xavier Bertrand”, a source close to the discussions told AFP.
“I don’t understand the position”
They also come after the call launched on Friday by former President Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2012) to LR to work to “appoint a right-wing Prime Minister”, considering that the ex-PS Bernard Cazeneuve is not “in line with the centre of gravity of French politics”.
In an interview with Le Figaro, he expressed “a strategic divergence” with the line followed by Laurent Wauquiez, president of the right-wing group in the National Assembly, who until now refused any coalition or participation in a government.
The right has 47 deputies in the Assembly, which would be added to the 166 of the Macronist camp, for a total of 213, far from the absolute majority of 289 seats. The leaders of the Republicans (LR) party presented in July a “legislative pact” which takes up measures long defended by the right on immigration or on work, assuring of their support the government which would take them up.
“I do not understand the position of proposing a minimum programme to the President of the Republic while claiming to want to remain outside the government team that would be in charge of implementing it!” Nicolas Sarkozy was annoyed, convinced “that things can only change from the inside”.
“No one can shirk the national interest”
Following the former president, several right-wing figures have spoken out in favour of LR joining the government, such as the president of the Association of Mayors of France, David Lisnard, who said that “no one can shirk the national interest”.
Former LR Aurélien Pradié, now a non-registered MP, also called in La Tribune on Sunday to “be patriots before being tacticians”, while MP Olivier Marleix also pleaded on Tuesday for a right-wing Prime Minister. Former minister of Jacques Chirac and Nicoals Sarkozy, Xavier Bertrand, 59, is president of the Hauts-de-France region.