The conservative contender in the French presidential election, Valérie Pécresse, held what rivals and campaign insiders touted as a make-or-break campaign rally on Sunday afternoon – following a string of defections to Emmanuel Macron’s camp, alongside criticism from her party’s influential ex-boss, former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Pécresse, a former minister in Sarkozy's government, has been vying with far-right candidates Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour for second position in opinion polls – a sign that a place in a run-off against incumbent President Macron, who leads the polls, is not guaranteed.
Recent gaffes, such as her failure to remember that Mali no longer had an ambassador in France, and her perceived lack of flair as a speaker have cost her momentum in polls since her post-selection bounce.
Some personalities in her party, such as former Budget Minister Eric Woerth, have defected to Macron in recent days, raising fears other big names could follow.
A report in Le Figaro, the newspaper of France’s traditional right, quoted scathing private comments from former President Sarkozy, whose views still carry weight among right-of-centre voters.
In the article, Sarkozy is cited as saying: "Who's talking about Valérie Pécresse? She's nowhere." and "Valérie did not understand anything to campaigning, and she would be well advised to refer to me a bit if she wants my support."
Pécresse met Sarkozy at his office near the Élysée Palace on Friday, telling reporters afterwards it had been "very useful to receive the advice of a former president" in what had been akin to "a family moment".
Sarkozy's office also gave a positive account of the meeting, saying the pair had a "deep discussion" in a "warm and friendly atmosphere".
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
