Mr Bertrand believes that he will be able to win regional elections - ReutersXavier Bertrand is the rising star of France's conservative party and called Monday for Right-wingers support for his candidacy in the 2022 presidential election.After defeating the far-Right at regional elections this weekend, Bertrand, who warned against Britain being punished for Brexit, gave the rallying cry.The 56-year old is seeking to oust Marine Le Pen in any second round of the crucial vote this spring.Let's make a great team because when there is a beautiful and great French team, I believe it wins," he said to BFMTV Monday.Since 2015, Mr Bertrand has been in charge of France's northern region, Hauts-de-France, and is responsible for the post-Brexit transition at Calais.He called for France's reindustrialization and for quotas of immigration.Sunday's vote saw conservative politicians win the largest percentage of votes, 38 percent of ballots. They also retained seven regions.AFP Pool: Emmanuel Macron's party did not win a single regional election.Both Macron's LREM party and Marine Le Pen's National Rally(RN) did worse than expected. They didn't win a single region and this led to predictions that their leaders would be in a two-horse race to the presidency.On Monday, Mr Macron visited Douai in the north to congratulate his potential rival. He was there to announce the opening of an electric car battery factory.It's important that we made the FN retreat as much as possible, said Xavier Bertrand. He used the former name of National Rally, which was ruled by Jean-Marie Marine Le Pen, and is considered more extreme.While Mr Macron was firm in his stance on Brexit negotiations, and he refused to hold bilateral talks between the UK and him, Mr Bertrand is more flexible.He suggested that last year, nothing could stop other countries from having discreet discussions with the UK.Nicholas Sarkozys former minister has called for Calais's status to be a free-trade zone and for closer links with UK companies, regardless of the outcome. He said that we don't want war.He was opposed to Britain's exit from the European Union like many French politicians. However, he advocated for a tailored, pragmatic relationship with the UK that is based on either the Canadian or Norwegian models.The British are still a European nation and a great economic force. There will be about 30 km between Dover, Calais, and Calais. Let's not be stupid and try to create a new, tailored relationship. He said that it was in their best interest but also in ours, speaking to French radio France Inter two weeks after Brexit became effective.He was a leader in the northern region and called on France to engage in an arms race with Britain over fishing rights. This would prevent British fishing boats from processing fish caught in European Union waters.However, Mr Bertrand is still far from the Elysee. He is expected to win more votes than other conservatives in 2022. However, polls only give him 18% support, which is behind Mr Macron and Ms Le Pen, both of whom are around 25%.He would not make it to round two, as things stand.Many other prominent conservative leaders are also expected to run for president due to the success of the mainstream Right in its fight against far-Right candidates.Valerie Pecresse was reelected in Paris and has already rejected the notion that Mr Bertrand is the natural choice for conservatives.Ms. Pecresse said that a French team emerged, particularly in the regions for the right and centre. But it was not a providential man.Everything starts with today for me.She will announce her decision to run for the summer.
