The Latest Breaking News from Nicolas Sarkozy

Valérie Pécresse’s first major campaign gathering was meant to energise a sputtering presidential bid rattled by defections and self-doubt. Instead, it exposed a key weakness of a conservative candidate ill-suited to the raucous world of campaign rallies.

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.

The conservative right-wing challenger to Emmanuel Macron in the looming French presidential vote grappled Friday with a wave of defections, while hoping former president Nicolas Sarkozy would finally offer his full-throated support.

The conservative contender in the French presidential election, Valerie Pecresse, is fighting to keep her campaign afloat after a string of defections from her camp to President Emmanuel Macron and criticism from her party's former head Nicolas Sarkozy.