Pécresse is currently President of the Regional Council of the capital region Île-de-France.
(Photo: dpa)
Paris In France, the conservative republicans are sending ex-minister Valérie Pécresse a woman for the first time in the presidential election. In the second round of the membership decision, Pécresse (54) prevailed on Saturday with 61 percent of the vote against the southern French MP Éric Ciotti, who received 39 percent of the votes. “The republican right is back,” said Pécresse after her election. “We will give our country back its unity, dignity and pride.” The right-wing camp last provided the president from 2007 to 2012: Nicolas Sarkozy.
According to current polls, it is by no means certain that the Republicans will make it to the second round in the April 2022 election. The current favorite is the incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, who is very likely to run again. Right-wing populist Marine Le Pen is currently in second place in the polls.
The election of Pécresse as a candidate came as a surprise. Among the five applicants, the former EU chief negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier, and Xavier Bertrand, President of the Regional Council of Hauts-de-France, had expected opportunities. Pécresse is currently President of the Regional Council of the capital region Île-de-France.
More: Five against Macron: France’s conservatives lurch towards the presidential election
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.