Traveling to the inauguration of the Biennale of Architecture and Landscape of Versailles, Valérie Pécresse honored her first media appointment since her defeat in the presidential election. Friday, May 13, in front of journalists, the ex-candidate of the right spoke about her post-campaign. “I caught my breath. I went for a walk in nature, it’s the best resource. In politics, you either win or you learn. We will say that I learned a lot, ”said the president of the Île-de-France region quickly, according to comments broadcast on BFMTV.
The day after a historic defeat of the right (4.7%), Valérie Pécresse spoke in front of the LR headquarters for a call for donations. “Personally in debt” to the tune of 5 million euros, the ex-candidate solicited the generosity of supporters to bail out the coffers of the party, whose campaign costs will not be reimbursed by the State, the threshold being set at 5 %. The deadline for the appeal for donations has been extended until May 31, with Les Républicains still having 1 million euros to recover. According to BFMTV, donors have already paid 2.5 million euros, while the party has given 1.2 million euros to its ex-candidate.
The defeat was tough for Valérie Pécresse. Monopolized by the reimbursement of her campaign expenses, the head of the Ile-de-France executive has also refused the transfer of Nicolas Sarkozy, given his lack of public support during his presidential campaign. According to Le Monde, it was in Spain, in a fitness center, that she took a few days off after the first round. “She needs to breathe and settle her debts, this is not the time to piss her off,” Jean-François Copé, the mayor of Meaux, told Le Monde.