“Xavier Bertrand proposed an approach that I found violent” from Justice

«The Prime Minister informed me this morning, contrary to what he had proposed to me yesterday, that he was no longer able to entrust me with responsibility for the Ministry of Justice due to the opposition of the National Rally . Despite his new proposals, I refuse to participate in a French government formed with the approval of Marine Le Pen.wrote in a press release Xavier Bertrand, president (Les Républicains, LR) of Hauts-de-France, Monday evening, a few moments before the announcement of the composition of the government.

Questioned on BFMTV at 8:30 p.m. about the controversy launched by Xavier Bertrand, concerning supposed exchanges with Marine Le Pen which would have blocked him, François Bayrou refuted all «influence» of the RN on the composition of the government.

“Divergences” according to Bayrou

François Bayrou clarified “that he had proposed to Xavier Bertrand to join the government. He told me that he only wanted Justice. I received him, he explained his views to me and I did not recognize myself in his views (…). And as I thought about it, I realized where the points of divergence were. Xavier Bertrand proposed an approach that I found violent: he proposed that fines be directly invoiced and paid by withholding wages.

«It has nothing to do with a distrust of Marine Le Pen, but a distrust of me”he added: “The Ministry of Justice is not a ministry of war, of fracture, of aggression between one side and another.” Speculation about the appointment of the former minister, a determined opponent of the far right, was poorly received by the RN, the leading group in the National Assembly. “It’s a very bad sign.”declared RN deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy.