The French right chooses a moderate candidate to face Macron in presidential

The conservative party French The Republicans chose their candidate this Saturday to face the president Emmanuel Macron in next year’s presidential election, Valerie Pécresse, a moderate leader representing the social-liberal wing.

The militants organized an online congress in which Pécresse, 54, obtained 60.95% of the votes, compared to 39.05% for the deputy Eric Ciotti, more heeled to the right.

Pécresse – the president of the region where Paris is located – will be the first woman to represent this party in a presidential election.

“The party of General (Charles) de Gaulle (the French postwar leader), our political family, will have a candidate in the presidential elections. Today I think of all the women of France. I will give everything to succeed, “he said after the announcement of the result.

After this nomination, he has the difficult mission of leading the traditional right to victory, after this formation was eliminated in the first round in the last presidential elections in 2017.

His party, heir to Gaullism, has been the protagonist for nearly 60 years of French political life, constituting the formation that has led the most governments. But since 2012 – with the election to the presidency that year of the socialist François Hollande and in 2017 of the centrist and liberal Macron – he has not returned to power.

“With this we are taking a first step that will lead us to victory,” said party president Christian Jacob on Saturday.

Pécresse thanked her for the “audacity” of having been chosen as the first woman candidate of the traditional right and affirmed: “I will show that I am worthy of it”.

Four months into the first round, the result is being watched closely by Macron’s team. Although all the polls predict that she will win the election, the appearance of a strong candidate from the traditional right can be a game changer, especially if she gains momentum during the campaign.

Until now, polls have placed the Republican candidate behind the outgoing president and far-right leader Marine Le Pen. In these elections the irruption of the controversial right-wing commentator Éric Zemmour also represents a mystery.

– “The right has returned” –

Pécresse’s party failed to advance to the second round in 2017, after a corruption investigation of its candidate François Fillon.

However, most of his legitimacy lies in his capacity as heir to the presidencies of Sarkozy (2007-2012) and Jacques Chirac (1995-2007), as well as De Gaulle.

“The Republican right has returned. He will fight with relentless will. France cannot wait any longer, “Pécresse said, promising to make France” respected in the world. “

Setting the tone for a campaign focused on issues such as security and immigration, he added: “I understand the anger of a people who feel powerless in the face of violence, Islamist separatism and uncontrolled immigration.”

With Pécresse’s announcement, the candidates for the April 2022 elections are practically defined. Macron has not yet confirmed whether he will be a candidate, but he is expected to run for re-election.

Candidates from a highly divided left, according to current polls, could hardly go to the second round of the French presidential election, which is accessed by the two most voted candidates in the first round.

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