Basic right: who wants to give away millions?

The end of the year is the time for the New Year! But for candidates for the right-wing and centrist primaries, which will be held in November 2016, donations are hunted all year round. The race for big donors is in full swing for those already campaigning, such as François Fillon, Alain Juppe, Bruno Le Maire, Nadine Morano and Herve Mariton. It has not yet been announced that Nicolas Sarkozy or Natalie Kosciuszko-Morizet are still active. In this campaign, when the party does not provide candidates with a single euro, the advantage will be significant for whoever raises the most money to finance his meetings, his documents, his premises.

To do this, you will have to wet your own shirt, convince potential donors to get a checkbook. This often happens during confidential dinners in a Parisian apartment, on the occasion of a drink in a pub, after conferences sometimes held abroad, and, of course, on social networks, where the hunting grounds are endless. But the upper limit allowed by law remains 7,500 euros per donor and per year donated to candidate micro-parties.

Picnic and Facebook for Juppe 2.8 million already collected

At Alain Juppe, fundraising is a well-oiled mechanism. A team of 16 works on this, and the candidate has lunch in Paris once or twice a month with major sponsors. For the year he has already accumulated 2.8 million euros! Or almost half of the amount he intends to use to defend his candidacy. The last meeting took place in a Parisian apartment on December 15, where Juppe spent an hour and a half explaining his project and answering questions. A dozen people paid him almost 35,000 euros that evening?

Irreplaceable, the most generous patrons of the euro?? 200 people with more than 1000 euros?¬ donation every euro?? are not the only ones whom the candidate caresses in the direction of the hair. Last July, a barbecue was organized in Suresnes (Hauts-de-Seine) to attract “small” donors. Outcome of the picnic: 20,000 euros?¬ reported.

Juppe has a dossier on 5,000 “small donors”. And donations grow after the candidate’s appearances on television. But not only. “We hit our peak when he was booed at the Republican convention in May…” admits Marie Guevenou, who is in charge of fundraising. In addition to reminding donors by phone or email, Juppé’s team has also taken up advertising. In this case on Facebook, where it targets LR supporters. “We invested 700 euros?¬ in this ad, it brought us 4200. So we planned to go further by investing 2500 euros?¬”, we make a reservation.

Sarkozy has his connections… and the party ? million

Officially, he is not yet a candidate. However, Nicolas Sarkozy has already put himself in battle formation to launch the euro?? imperceptibly euro?? his fundraising for the primaries. There is no doubt that the President of the Republican Party in the race for money will lag behind his main rivals. “He has always supported his donor network. He has a whole circle of silver people whom he sees regularly,” says the relative, while refusing to report on the amounts already collected.

Two volunteers are currently solely responsible for raising funds for Nicolas Sarkozy. Among them is an American-style fundraiser who wishes to remain anonymous.

But the team will grow when the candidate officially enters the campaign. All collected amounts of euro ?? do they come from small or large euro donors?? donated to Nicolas Sarkozy’s Action Support Association, a structure created by his longtime friend Bryce Ortefe. They talk about his paid conferences abroad

Party boss and candidate in the making, a double hat that still makes people say, “He uses the firepower of the party, his trips are paid for by the Republicans, and that also allows him to position himself in the primaries!” thus strangling one of its competitors. The same irritates the well-known highly paid conferences abroad, which the former head of state did not refuse.

Fillon copies Obama’s recipe 1.7 million already collected

François Fillon does not waste time. Last Wednesday, as soon as he opened his new campaign premises, Boulevard Saint-Germain (VIIe), he received about forty major donors. How much did they give? “It’s more subtle. Sometimes you have to see them three or four times before being convinced,” says business manager Pierre Danon, who is in charge of fundraising for the primary candidate. The format is often the same: “People stand, and he speaks among them. In the atmosphere of orange juice, cola and peanuts. »

Launched almost two years ago, Fillon has already raised 1.7 million euros and plans to raise another 1.5 or even 2 million in 2016. The amounts that go to pay for his trips to the provinces (on average two per week), as well as for expenses related to the headquarters (rent of 100,000 euros for one year, electricity, heating and salaries of four employees), as well as the printing of brochures.

In addition to major sponsors who are eligible to meet every week, Fillon maintains a dossier of 10,000 supporters of his Republican Forces association. It relies on an army of volunteers who are very active online. Witness crowdfunding (crowdfunding) activities inspired by the Obama method. “When François Fillon presented his housing proposals, we sent them to professionals in the sector, who were found through professional websites, social networks, etc.,” explains Pierre Danon. Of the 250,000 messages, 3% were accompanied by donations totaling €20,000?¬. It’s inspiring! »

Mayor targets foreigners 1 million already collected

Three millions ! This is the total amount that Bruno Le Maire wants to raise for the campaign. The Eure member spares no effort. Just last week, he hosted two breakfasts and a dinner with major donors in Paris. “He is playing a contactless card. At this kind of meeting, there were never more than five people around him. It usually lasts an hour, ”says his entourage. To date, the main candidate has raised almost 1 million francs.

“We need to constantly convince, we swear. Especially at the end of the year, when potential donors need to know they have until December 31st to be able to take advantage of the 66% tax cut on donations next year. “It is business manager Alain Missoff, brother of Françoise de Panafier and representative of the industrial Wendel dynasty, who is responsible for collecting Le Maire’s “large donations”. Understand: from 3000 to 7500 euros? is the upper limit allowed by law. “But there are also many people who give 10, 20, 30 euros?¬. Combined, this is a very good amount of money upon arrival,” says Missoffe.

Like Juppé and Fillon, Le Maire has increased his fundraising trips to French people abroad in recent months. “Especially in major European capitals such as London, Brussels and Geneva, where foreigners are known to have ‘great financial gains’,” deciphers close friend Bruno Le Maire.