France: the support of Nicolas Sarkozy, an issue for Valérie Pécresse

Valérie Pécresse, Les Républicains candidate for the French presidential election of 2022, during a meeting in Paris, December 11, 2022. AFP - BERTRAND GUAY

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The Les Républicains candidate for the French presidential election in April, Valérie Pécresse, needs the support of former head of state Nicolas Sarkozy.

Despite his controversial record, the latter remains popular with LR voters.

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He failed to be re-elected in 2012 and his record is criticized, but he is an important figure and the last on the right to have been president.

Valérie Pécresse must therefore receive the dubbing of Nicolas Sarkozy.

And not just for the symbol. 

Even if a number of Sarkozyists have already joined the ranks of the candidate for 2022, the former president remains popular and his voice counts for LR voters.

Valérie Pécresse therefore takes the step of going to see him.

However, the relationship has never been obvious between them.

And for 2022, the former leader skilfully cast doubt on his preferences: Valérie Pécresse or

 ?

The father of "

" regularly exchanges with the current head of state.

They had lunch together at the end of January.

Above all, Nicolas Sarkozy does not hold back, in private, from expressing his grievances against the campaign of Valérie Pécresse. 

►To read: The departure of Éric Woerth, a blow for Valérie Pécresse whose campaign is slipping

According to comments reported to the newspaper

, she would have " 

 ", would be "  non-

 " and would do well to quote him more, instead of talking all the time about Jacques Chirac.

In the entourage of the candidate, it is assured that Nicolas Sarkozy will support the choice of his political family.

If this were not the case, it would be a disaster for Valérie Pécresse.

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• French politics

• Valerie Pécresse

• Nicolas Sarkozy