The evening was expected to be a
"great confrontation"
.
This Wednesday evening, the seven candidates for the regional elections in Hauts-de-France, scheduled for June 20 and 27, clashed during a debate organized by LCI, in partnership with
Le Figaro
and RTL.
In this territory where the stakes go beyond the regional level, the outgoing president ex-LR and presidential candidate Xavier Bertrand was more than ever "the man to kill".
Read also: Regional: Hauts-de-France, epicenter of a nationalized campaign
They compared their vision of the region in a relatively calm atmosphere.
For more than two hours, the figures with national resonance that are Xavier Bertrand, the Minister in charge of Pensions and Occupational Health Laurent Pietraszewski, the environmental MEP Karima Delli and the RN candidate Sébastien Chenu defended the substance of their proposals.
Lesser-known faces, such as those of European partisan Audric Alexandre, worker candidate Éric Pecqueur and leader Debout la France, José Evrard, have also tried to make their voices heard.
"It's not a good record"
Economy, employment, transport, ecology ... The candidates for regional elections in Hauts-de-France have defended proposals that are often radically different.
With all the same a common thread: attacking the balance sheet of the outgoing president.
Which has tried throughout the debate to highlight its employment policy, as well as the drop in unemployment observed under his mandate.
Read also: Regional: Xavier Bertrand threatened in Hauts-de-France if LREM remains in the second round
“
It's not a good record. I can not resolve to see this region where there are 31% of young people who are unemployed,
"blasted Karima Delli, justifying his proposal to create"
100,000 local green jobs, non-relocatable and worthy.
""
I hear anger and a form of despair. It is quite revealing. (...) (The inhabitants) did not perceive that the region was sufficiently on their side,
”for his part reproached the majority candidate, Laurent Pietraszewski.
Basically, each candidate got down to highlighting his trademark.
An “
ecological and social transformation plan
” for the ecological candidate facing a “
major reindustrialisation project
” for Laurent Pietraszewski, as well as an alliance of “
ecology (and) the economy
” on the side of Xavier Bertrand.
Although this is not a direct competence of the region, the subject of security has been made a “
priority
” by Sébastien Chenu.
"
Nothing is possible without security,
" hammered the deputy from the North.
To read also: Regional 2021: how the candidates seize the questions of security
Among the subjects discussed, that of wind power proved to be the most divisive, in a region which alone produces a quarter of this energy in France.
Presented as an “
industrial swindle
” by the RN, wind power remains at the heart of the environmental program which aims to start “
a new method
” of “
working with citizens
”.
On the other hand, no compromise possible on the side of Xavier Bertrand for whom nuclear power is the “
energy of the future
”.
"You mix up the elections"
Transparent on his desire to stand for the presidential election - Xavier Bertrand conditioned his candidacy to a victory in Hauts-de-France -, the former minister was unsurprisingly attacked on his double hat.
"
You are mixing up the elections,
" Karima Delli has repeatedly repeated.
Read also: Presidential: Emmanuel Macron and Xavier Bertrand, a duel in 2022?
The tone has also gone up a notch with the head of the RN list, Sébastien Chenu. Accusing each other in turn of spreading "
lies
", the two candidates spilled the regional debate on the national scene. “
You don't like contradiction (...). You have the ambition to become President of the Republic. If the first opponent, we threaten to drag him to the courts, it's a bad start for freedoms in our country,
"quirked Sébastien Chenu. "
I know why I have been fighting you since 1990 and I know that I have a particular responsibility: to block the road of the region, as of our country, to the National Front
", retorted Xavier Bertrand. And to add: "
People who exploit the misfortunes of others and who lie because they have no proposals for the region, I will fight them to the end.
"
Read also: Macron plans to go to Hauts-de-France before the first round of regional
Faced with a debate briefly monopolized by the two candidates, the ecologist Karima Delli split to attend a "
cockfight
", describing his opponents as "
dinosaurs waiting for the meteorite to strike their heads.
"
No revelations as to the strategies of the in-between rounds
While the polls announce an increasingly reduced gap between the outgoing and the National Rally, the question of the in-between rounds and a possible "republican front" has in turn crystallized the tensions.
Hoping for a role of kingmaker, despite a score announced around 10%, Laurent Pietraszewski postponed his decision to the evening of the first round.
“
I will have to position myself on this subject when the last ballot from the last polling station has been counted on Sunday, June 20, and you will have a very clear answer.
"
To read also: Regional: the left succeeds in the union in Hauts-de-France
The ecologist Karima Delli, head of the list of an unprecedented union of the left, has returned the ball to Xavier Bertrand.
"
What will you do if I'm in front of you?"
Are you going to make a dam or a colander?
», She questioned, six years after the withdrawal of the left list to block the road to the National Front of the time.
In the middle, the RN candidate had fun with discussions assimilated to "
grub
", not failing to associate the outgoing president with the head of state on several occasions: "
Xavier Bertrand is in the hands of Emmanuel Macron.
He needs Emmanuel Macron to win.
"
