“I value my freedom”: Xavier Bertrand’s cautious campaign at the Saint-Quentin fair

Xavier Bertrand is campaigning without officially declaring a presidential candidacy, carefully presenting himself as a possible alternative rather than treating his ambitions as settled fact.

The Les Républicains president of Hauts-de-France hopes to become a fallback candidate for the presidency. His view, as presented in the report, is that “the time has come for a candidacy of unity, not one that seeks to move beyond” the existing political framework.

The article depicts Bertrand as a pragmatic politician who allows himself to hope while refusing to call desire certainty. It recalls that his name circulated seriously two years earlier as a possible successor to Gabriel Attal as prime minister. At the time, his wife, Vanessa Williot, considered the practical consequences of a move to Paris, including relocating, managing the children and reorganizing their lives.

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The time has come for a candidacy of unity, not one that seeks to move beyond.

Bertrand, described as cautious in the manner of Saint Thomas, reportedly eased those concerns by slowing the process down. Williot, who previously worked as an intern in Brice Hortefeux’s ministerial office when he was in charge of immigration, met Bertrand at a public meeting held by Gérald Darmanin.

The report also presents another side of Bertrand’s public persona, calling him a “good merchant.” At the Saint-Quentin fair, he joked to customers: “If you find it cheaper, I’ll refund you three times the difference!”

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If you find it cheaper, I’ll refund you three times the difference!