Presidential election 2027: Xavier Bertrand announces his candidacy and rejects any primary election

Xavier Bertrand will be a candidate in the 2027 presidential election. The president of the Hauts-de-France region made his decision official this Thursday, August 27, during the Medef's back-to-school university, where several contenders for the Élysée Palace are gathered to debate.

When asked directly about his intentions, the former minister replied without hesitation: "I will be." Xavier Bertrand thus joins an already substantial list of candidates from the right and center, alongside figures such as Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, and Bruno Retailleau.

"We're not going to make the same mistakes every time."

Xavier Bertrand also ruled out holding a primary to decide between the various candidates in his camp. "We're not going to make the same mistakes every time," he declared, referring in particular to the 2021 Republican primary which he lost to Valérie Pécresse.

This new candidacy further complicates the equation on the right and in the center, especially since Gabriel Attal has expressed support for the idea of ​​a primary and Édouard Philippe believes a coalition must be formed between November and February. Xavier Bertrand, for his part, intends to go directly to the voters.