Europe 1 with AFP 11:42 a.m., May 05, 2022
Supported by Nicolas Sarkozy after his appeal for donations at the end of the presidential campaign, Valérie Pécresse refused financial assistance from the former President of the Republic.
The Politico media reveals that the Republican candidate for the election, who must repay her campaign to 5 million euros for not having obtained more than 5% in the first round, refused the transfer of Nicolas Sarkozy and even told him -credited the money.
The former LR candidate, Valérie Pécresse, who appealed for donations to fill the hole of five million euros left by her defeat in the presidential election, has, according to those around her, refused the money from Nicolas Sarkozy, who does not had ever supported him during the campaign.
The former President of the Republic had made, about ten days ago, a bank transfer of a 4-figure sum (without reaching the legal limit of 4,600 euros) in favor of the President of the Ile-de- France.
But the latter had him re-credited during the day, Valérie Pécresse's entourage told AFP on Thursday, confirming information from Politico.
"She is not asking for charity, but for solidarity and friendship. She is a woman of honor", explained this source.
>> READ ALSO -
Campaign financing: Pécresse calls for "urgent help"
The gap between Nicolas Sarkozy and the candidate continued to widen during the presidential campaign, where he never gave her his support.
According to comments reported in the press, the former head of state, who cultivates a closeness with Emmanuel Macron, was very harsh towards the candidate: "non-existent", "Valérie did not understand anything", "she would be well advised to quote me "... He even called on April 12 to vote Emmanuel Macron in the second round, without a word for his former minister.
Valérie Pécresse would have collected 2.5 million donations
Valérie Pécresse had obtained only 4.78% of the votes in the first round of the presidential election, under the 5% necessary to obtain reimbursement of her campaign expenses for which she "was personally indebted to the tune of five million euros. euro".
She collected "about 2.5 million donations", said Sunday Christian Jacob, the president of the party Les Républicains (LR).
>> READ ALSO -
Valérie Pécresse would have collected 2.5 million donations after her heavy defeat in the presidential election
"The party will provide eight million euros for a campaign that had cost 15 million," said Christian Jacob, judging that this call for donations from the candidate had been "understood by many French people".
The ex-candidate LR had relaunched this call on Monday, invoking "those who share (his) convictions" but also those who, "for fear of extremes have chosen the useful vote from the first round".