Things are happening in Hauts-de-France.
The leaders for the regional elections are almost complete.
Xavier Bertrand represents himself on the right, Sébastien Chenu will lead the RN list, Laurent Pietraszewski that of the presidential majority and, against all expectations, the left is coming together to lead a common list, determined to
"provide a credible left alternative"
.
"The agreement is not yet completed but it should be in the week",
confirmed Patrick Kanner Wednesday, on the set of "Talk Le Figaro".
In order to
"weigh to challenge the right and the RN in this region, the left must be united,"
hammered the president of the Socialist group in the Senate.
The thing was not easy, but no scattering this time.
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It now remains to designate their champion, between the candidate of the Greens, Karima Delli, the communist candidate, the LFI candidate and the socialist candidate who is none other than Patrick Kanner.
"Xavier Bertrand has managed this region for five years in a very solitary, very Jupiterian way,"
denounces the former minister.
"The left has disappeared for five years"
, regrets the Socialist.
Assuring that this is a democratic anomaly
"that must be repaired,"
Kanner once again advocates the virtues of unity.
"Xavier Bertrand must now be able to say to himself that he will have real opposition, because it is out of the question that the left will not be present for another six years, despite the threat from the National Front
,
" he
insists.
If he recognizes that,
"of course, there will be points of disagreement"
, however, the Socialist is delighted with a form of
"maturity"
which manifests itself on the left.
He recalls that not long ago, LFI still considered him
"an outcast, a political plague"
.
If on paper there is strength in unity, who will lead the common list?
"It is under discussion at this stage"
, assures the elected representative of the North, admitting however that Karima Delli "
holds a little the cord
".
As such, the former minister sweeps away any ego problem:
“My personal position must be at the service of the gathering.
The union has a price, ”
relativizes the former president of the general council of the North.
The socialist also defends his ambition to want to bring up
"a new generation of elected socialists"
.
Read also: Regional elections: in Île-de-France, the Blanquer option is moving away, LREM is looking for a "plan B"
Change the game
This rally on the left could be a game-changer, with a tighter election that would not be reduced to a match between the incumbent president and the RN.
"I think 25% would not be inaccessible," he
says, stressing that the latest estimates for Xavier Bertrand, were made when no one could potentially face him, especially on the left.
He also anticipates a decline in voting intentions for the latter.
Another element to take into consideration, he points out, the arrival of the LREM candidate, Laurent Pietraszewski.
"He is going to go into battle and claims to bring all the centrists back to him, in particular the Modem which at this stage supports Xavier Bertrand." "The games are very open"
, concludes Patrick Kanner who dreams that this future northern gathering will be a kind of precedent for the presidential election and avoids a new Macron-Le Pen duel.