Xavier Bertrand, Laurent Wauquiez and Valérie Pécresse. – Photomontage PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP / ALLILI MOURAD / SIPA
- On the right, the regional elections, the first round of which takes place this Sunday, will have repercussions at the national level.
- Three outgoing presidents, Xavier Bertrand (Hauts-de-France), Laurent Wauquiez (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) and Valérie Pécresse (Ile-de-France), have more or less displayed their ambitions for the 2022 presidential election.
- We summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the three candidates for this last preparation match before 2022.
The right is playing big for these regions. The Republicans and their allies (centrists and ex-LR) hope to keep in their satchel the seven regions now held in metropolitan France. After encouraging municipal elections, and despite internal bickering, Christian Jacob’s party wishes to consolidate its local presence during the polls on June 20 and 27. The right also hopes to see more clearly in view of the presidential election.
While the designation process has been postponed until the start of the school year, the ballot could redistribute the cards for 2022. Three outgoing presidents have more or less displayed their national ambitions: Xavier Bertrand in Hauts-de-France, Valérie Pécresse in Ile-de -France, and Laurent Wauquiez in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The opportunity to make the match between the three contenders.
Xavier Bertrand, question of political life or death
His ambition for 2022: “I am not going to hide behind my little finger”, said Xavier Bertrand to 20 minutes from last October. The president of Hauts-de-France very quickly indicated his desire to be a presidential candidate. Entrenched in his territory since his departure from the Republicans at the end of 2017, the former minister hopes to make his re-election a stepping stone to the Elysee. But he also warned that he would quit politics if it failed: “If I can’t convince 6 million people, I won’t try to convince 67 million. “
Its chances for the regional ones: The outgoing president is in the lead in voting intentions (34%), but the match promises to be tense with RN Sébastien Chenu (32%). Despite the union of the left, the candidacy of Karima Delli seems a little far from the leading duo (17-20%) and the list of the presidential majority carried by Laurent Pietraszewski, seems, it, left behind (10-12%) . In the event of a quadrangular, Xavier Bertrand would be threatened by the RN candidate, while he indicated that he would not negotiate between the two rounds with LREM.
His weight on the right: A time snubbed by his former party, the Xavier Bertrand hypothesis has gained weight in recent months, especially after the renunciation (never formalized) of François Baroin for 2022. Supported by many LR executives, it is also he who obtains the best scores in the polls one year before the presidential election. The boss Christian Jacob will also be alongside the candidate Thursday, in the home stretch before the first round.
The extra thing : On the right, “it is the one who is most hungry”,
Rachida Dati had said, regarding his ambitions.
Valérie Pécresse, a discreet ambition
His ambition for 2022: Unlike her colleague from the North, Valérie Pécresse is not officially a presidential candidate. But the president of Ile-de-France, who left LR in 2019 to found her Free movement !, is multiplying the clues. “I am 100% focused on the region. But what I want for Île-de-France, I obviously also want for the country, ”she said to
Challenges. If the next regional fails, she announced that she would also quit political life.
Its chances for the regional ones: Valérie Pécresse prances ahead of the polls, with more than 15 points ahead of RN number 2, Jordan Bardella and more than 20 over walker Laurent Saint-Martin, and the three left candidates, Audrey Pulvar (PS), Clémentine Autain (LFI) and Julien Bayou (EELV). The outgoing president is given the winner in the second round even in the event of a union of the left.
His weight on the right: Since leaving LR in June 2019, Valérie Pécresse has refocused on her region, and seems to have less support than Xavier Bertrand in her former family. But the head of LR, Christian Jacob, will welcome him to his stronghold in Provins (Seine-et-Marne) on Wednesday for a meeting. A mark of strong support.
His extra thing : The support of the singer Maître Gims for the regional ones.
Laurent Wauquiez, to erase the demons of the past
His ambition for 2022 : Since the slap received in the Europeans when he was president of LR, Laurent Wauquiez has put his Elyos ambition on the mute. But the president of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes lets his supporters maintain the mystery of his desires. “I’m not going to be a spectator,” he assures us. I am going to commit ”, he said in March to JDD,
pleading for a primary. Which will he participate in?
His chances for the regional : Like Valérie Pécresse, Laurent Wauquiez seems on the right track to re-establish himself in his stronghold. He is given largely the winner against the RN list of Andréa Kotarac (+15 points) and more than 20 points from the Macronist deputy Bruno Bonnell, who could both be maintained in the second round. The two lists on the left are struggling, around 10%. He would win in the second round in any situation.
His weight on the right: Forced to let go of his throne after the Europeans, Laurent Wauquiez has turned his back and continues to meet with executives of the movement. The former president keeps weighty supporters, like the sarkozyste Brice Hortefeux, and hopes to have kept the rating with the militants, who had elected him triumphantly with 75% of the votes at the end of 2017.
His extra thing : He entrusted it to JDD : “I am aware of having caricatured myself. “