The president of LR de Hauts-de-France, Xavier Bertrand, launched his We France movement on Saturday, in resolute opposition to the extreme right, arousing the anger of Eric Ciotti, who mocked this “umpteenth step” on Twitter.
About 500 people gathered on Saturday afternoon at the Saint-Quentin theater (Aisne) to hear Xavier Bertrand promise “a modern, young and unifying movement”.
“Yes, I still have the same energy and the same desire to carry my ideas,” launched the former minister, eliminated from the 2022 presidential election from the Republican primary stage.
A “broadcast paper”
Coming from his think tank La Manufacture, “we, France, will be a collective force, that is perhaps what was missing for me,” he estimated.
Will he himself be a candidate in 2027? “Four and a half years before, of course not,” Xavier Bertrand assured journalists, claiming a “transmission role” to “bring out a new generation.”
But “we all have a little idea of the person who could wear these colours,” Essonne council president François Durovray launched to applause.
If he remains a member of the Republicans, with Nos France, Xavier Bertrand intends to “speak to all French people”, in particular the middle classes who will be “a priority”, and “work outside of electoral meetings”.
Branches open “from October”
The movement intends to open branches “from October throughout France”, with “departmental delegates everywhere by the end of the year”, he promised.
Describing himself as “a man of the social right, Gaullist”, Xavier Bertrand promised that “we, France, will never run after extremes” and will say “no to any deadly idea of union of the right and the extreme right”.
A warning that can be read, in the race for the presidency of LR, as a rejection of the line defended by the extreme right candidate Eric Ciotti.
“J’ai un peu de mal à comprehend la nouvelle et énième démarche de Xavier Bertrand. Je pars et je reviens puis je repars et demain? Ça rappelle la chanson populaire de Claude François, en moins heureux”, tweeted the deputy des Maritime Alps.
“There is the light of the lighthouse of Alexandria and there is Eric Ciotti,” Nous France spokesman Jean-Didier Berthault responded on Twitter.
Flanked by several parliamentarians (Pierre-Henri Dumont, Julien Dive, Dominique Estrosi-Sassone…), Xavier Bertrand had also invited the UDI senator from the North Valérie Létard.
Criticizing “wokist ideology”
In addition to the social aspect, the former minister advocated fighting “for order” because “if nothing is done by 2027 (…) the withdrawal, it is even likely that clashes will arise.”
Reducing the criminal majority to 15 years, “Republic of the territories”, fight for secularism or “ecology of solutions”, the former candidate for the primaries extensively resumed his campaign proposals, criticizing “the wokist ideology”.
And “we are going to talk to those who work, because in France we do not earn enough when we work,” he added, returning to his idea of the “work cousin” that covers part of the salary costs.
As for pensions, “I am willing to commit to supporting a reform if there is justice” and “if those who are harmed by work can leave earlier,” he launched, calling the Executive in consultation.
Source: BFM TV
