After staying silent during the electoral campaign for the first round, Nicolas Sarkozy is breaking his silence.
The former President of the Republic announced this Tuesday in a statement published on his Twitter account that he will vote for Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the presidential election. “I believe he has the necessary experience in the face of a serious international crisis that is more complex than ever.” He also considers that the “economic plan” of the head of state “places the appreciation of work at the center of all his priorities,” and that his “European commitment is clear and without ambiguity.”
Given the good relations and proximity between the former President of the Republic and the one aiming for a second mandate, something he himself could not achieve, this choice is not a surprise and, in reality, was expected.
However, the current leaders of his (former?) party might not have expected the conclusion…
Nicolas Sarkozy believes that “loyalty to the values of the republican right” and “the government culture” of the Republicans should lead them “to respond to Emmanuel Macron’s call for unity.”
Boom! This is exactly what the party leadership refused to do during their Monday meeting, choosing a middle ground in the style of Pontius Pilate: no to MLP, nor support for Emmanuel Macron. A menu ร la carte that allows them not to choose between Eric Ciotti’s para-extremist line and those advocating for a republican pact first and a government pact thereafter.
Nicolas Sarkozy, however, chose clarity and made his decision. Will his guidance be followed by the increasingly narrow electorate of the republican right? No one can say for sure, but as the saying goes in such cases, it’s better to have him on your side than against you.
Once the absolute “dominus” of this political movement, Nicolas Sarkozy certainly no longer possesses the aura of past times. Furthermore, during the 2017 presidential election, his participation in the LR primary was a setback for him: third after his former “collaborator” Franรงois Fillon and his long-time rival Alain Juppรฉ.
