In her editorial for this Wednesday, January 26, Elodie Huchard, CNEWS political journalist, looks back on the campaign of Valérie Pécresse, who is trying to find her place, by bringing together right-wing voters.
“Before gathering your country, you must gather your friends”. This is what Valérie Pécresse said to the UDI on Saturday when the party decided to support her for the presidential election. So much for the good intentions.
A few weeks ago, Jean-Christophe Lagarde warned that in the event of Eric Ciotti’s victory, the UDI will go it alone. They finally campaign together alongside Valérie Pécresse, but the atmosphere is not looking good. Yesterday morning, Éric Ciotti did not mince his words, he believes that it is not up to Lagarde to decide the line….
This episode illustrates the complexity for Valérie Pécresse of getting everyone to agree. Éric Ciotti wants to embody a hard line on security, Philippe Juvin wants to emphasize social issues, Hervé Morin wants to influence education and Europe, Jean-Christophe Lagarde also wants to participate in the program. In short, everyone wants to take part in the project.
This is reflected in the organization chart, Valérie Pécresse brings together the former lieutenants of each of the former candidates, she makes room for everyone… Problem, when everyone is around the table it is difficult to find a balance. Valérie Pécresse’s efforts to bring people together initially worked: traveling to each of her competitors, she showed up with the big names like François Baroin or Laurent Wauquiez. Few would have bet on support for the candidate, for the moment no departure from Macron or Zemmour but we can see it, the balance can quickly turn to the splits.
Doesn’t Valérie Pécresse risk losing her political line?
What did she say when she was elected? I have my line, no one will make me change it. This is also the origin of the first hiccup with Éric Ciotti, she did not want to take up some of his proposals. She has learned from her mistakes, she politely listens to proposals. Faced with the centrists and the UDI, she affirmed that she could take up some of their ideas. She promises nothing, but she notes a lot, with the elected officials or with the people she meets during the round table. The image she wants to give is this: a candidate who works on her files and listens.
Faithful to her mentor, Jacques Chirac, she always has with her a notebook offered in Corrèze, where she records what is explained to her. She notes the problems, the inconsistencies, the requests… She acts with her political advisers as with the people she meets, she wants to form her own opinion, she consults, she inquires but she decides… Close adviser: “Valérie Pécresse is a real boss, she questions, she can change her mind, but she decides. She knows how to listen and decide, it’s rare. What those around her now advise is this: show that she is the boss.
Slice his line therefore, even if it means offending. Especially since last week all her relatives agree and repeat it: she must get rid of the weight of the old competitors. Tenor of the party: “she has succeeded in gathering but all take up too much space, she must appear alone now, the presidential election is an individual candidacy”. It is therefore time for her to emancipate herself from party figures.
Nicolas Sarkozy has not yet given him his support
It is the heaviest silence in his campaign. We know he voted in Congress, for whom we don’t know. We know that Valérie Pécresse called him after his victory and that they saw each other…
Faithful to Nicolas Sarkozy: “he was impressed” by his internal campaign, he is not always tender but considers that she is working, that she has made a lot of progress. Close who promises that he will take a stand, but is it so certain?
“It is complicated to have successors” recognizes this same Sarkozyste. And that’s also the problem, Nicolas Sarkozy is the last right-wing president, and he seems to like this particular position. And then, especially at en Marche, there are those who think that Nicolas Sarkozy has another project: he would bet on a re-election of Emmanuel Macron, but on a defeat in the legislative elections. Emmanuel Macron should go to deal with an assembly not acquired because, and this is where Nicolas Sarkozy could come into play: create with Emmanuel Macron a large majority and allies of marching to the right… In any case what is on c is that at Valérie Pécresse we would be relieved to finally have the official support of Nicolas Sarkozy.