In the North, the sky is often low, lined with an opaque light gray.
So, the appearance of a "gendarme's panties" (a small patch of blue sky surrounded by clouds) necessarily arouses a bit of hope, without however presaging a real improvement.
Caution.
So it is with Xavier Bertrand, president (ex-LR) of the Hauts-de-France region, who recently saw his political horizon begin to emerge.
François Baroin is no longer in the race to represent the right?
His turn!
The former Minister of Health has therefore accelerated: media presence, two-footed tackles against the government.
And then the little touches that go well for his former family, The Republicans.
Because it is a question of seducing her again, after having left him in December 2017, if he wants to have the free way towards 2022. In the opinion of all or almost, at LR, Bertrand is the one who has " the most want ", and that counts, envy, for a presidential election.
Holding a moderate right, but hard on the regal, who claims to speak again to the popular classes, he benefits virtually from a small lead over his potential opponents (Bruno Retailleau, Valérie Pécresse, Laurent Wauquiez ...) But the person concerned will have to fight hard to win, because the right is looking for a "natural candidate", and today he only wears the costume of plan B - he has the merit of existing but does not (yet) make them dream.
A short walk behind the scenes of LR is enough to measure the extent of the skepticism it inspires.
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During the last political office of LR in December, it was the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes Michèle Tabarot (close to Jean-François Cope) who put a float to the Bertrand option.
"He made fairly steep outings vis-à-vis his family, and coming back as the savior, it's badly come," says the elected, who would blame him especially for his noisy departure from LR.
"He does not convince many people, and there are many people who hate him", poses a former minister, Sarkozy time, neither seduced nor refractory.
The cows rained under cover: "He lacks the charisma, the stature" (recurring criticism) for a great mayor LR.
Another, more perfidious, cowardly: "He is a very good regional president".
"We do not really know what his political position is," mutters another mayor, who nevertheless says he has good relations with him.
Same criticism for Bruno Retailleau, head of senators LR and potential competitor: “He works, he is skilled.
But I don't see a vision with him.
"
For the moment, no merger with LR
Some of LR's top executives have already unofficially applied for.
When others doubt.
"Yes, I have a doubt
(Editor's note: on the fact that it can impose itself)
", recognizes the deputy and secretary general LR Aurélien Pradié, without however closing the door: "If we all get started ..." Christian Jacob is not a fan either, and does everything to postpone the deadline for choosing the candidate.
And for the moment, the management denies any effective "rapprochement" with Xavier Bertrand.
In the Picard camp, they say they understand the "non-aligned" position of management.
"There will be a time of progressive rapprochement, of exchange with elected officials, tenors and their entourage", explains the deputy (LR) of Aisne and member of the close guard of Xavier Bertrand, Julien Dive.
“We want to work with everyone, to bring together.
Otherwise it is useless, ”he continues.
In the absence of reopening of the cafes, videoconference exchanges will continue to be organized with parliamentarians, in order to allow the head of Hauts-de-France to convince the skeptics.
"The little music
he's gone, he's a traitor
, you can still hear it among some elected officials," recognizes the Senator (LR) of Nice, Dominique Estrosi-Sassone, close to the former mayor of Saint-Quentin.
She wants to be optimistic, insists that he has "never completely cut the bridges" with LR, even if there is still much to do to repair the exes.
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Xavier Bertrand knows it, that's why he left early.
So he blows and blows on the clouds which still block his view.
Hoping that no other "natural candidate" arrives in the landscape.