Former France president Sarkozy 'will vote for Macron' in second round
Les Républicains' last president posted a message on his Facebook page, saying: "I will vote for Emmanuel Macron because I believe he has the necessary experience faced with a grave international crisis"
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has revealed that he will vote for centrist Emmanuel Macron in the run-off presidential election against far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
"I will vote for Emmanuel Macron because I believe he has the necessary experience faced with a grave international crisis ... his economic project puts the value of work as the top priority and his commitment to Europe is clear and unambiguous," Sarkozy - Les Républicains most recent president - posted on his Facebook page ahead of the second-round vote on April 24.
"We must abandon our partisan habits... Fidelity to right-wing republican values and our governing culture must lead us to answer Emmanuel Macron's call for unity," he said.
The statement came just days after the candidate from Sarkozy's own party - whom he had refused to support publicly - was eliminated in the first round of the election.
READ ALSO Sarkozy’s name jeered at French election rally
Candidate Valérie Pécresse obtained only 4.8 percent in the vote on Sunday.
This puts the Republicans in dire financial straits because it failed to reach the five-percent threshold above which election campaign spending is reimbursed by the state.
On Monday, Pécresse issued an urgent plea for donations to ensure her party's survival, saying she had personally racked up campaign debts of €5 million.
Comments
See Also
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has revealed that he will vote for centrist Emmanuel Macron in the run-off presidential election against far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
"I will vote for Emmanuel Macron because I believe he has the necessary experience faced with a grave international crisis ... his economic project puts the value of work as the top priority and his commitment to Europe is clear and unambiguous," Sarkozy - Les Républicains most recent president - posted on his Facebook page ahead of the second-round vote on April 24.
"We must abandon our partisan habits... Fidelity to right-wing republican values and our governing culture must lead us to answer Emmanuel Macron's call for unity," he said.
The statement came just days after the candidate from Sarkozy's own party - whom he had refused to support publicly - was eliminated in the first round of the election.
READ ALSO Sarkozy’s name jeered at French election rally
Candidate Valérie Pécresse obtained only 4.8 percent in the vote on Sunday.
This puts the Republicans in dire financial straits because it failed to reach the five-percent threshold above which election campaign spending is reimbursed by the state.
On Monday, Pécresse issued an urgent plea for donations to ensure her party's survival, saying she had personally racked up campaign debts of €5 million.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.