She has not said her last word. This Sunday, in an interview with the JDD, Virginie Calmels assures that she “reserves the right” to appeal to justice after the rejection of her candidacy for the presidency of the Republicans.
Explaining that her lawyer “responded to the High Authority of the party with a three-page letter demonstrating the validity of (her) candidacy”, the former boss of Endemol and Canal + assures that she wants to leave “time to the High Authority” of the party to “pull themselves together”. Otherwise, she “reserves the right to sue,” she warns in the weekly.
The High Authority of LR had rejected the candidacy of Virginie Calmels on Monday, arguing that the ex-assistant of Alain Juppé at the town hall of Bordeaux was not up to date with his contribution. “Can only be candidates for the presidency of the party members up to date with their contributions on July 22, 2022. Unless the party services are mistaken, this was not your case”, affirmed the president of the High Authority Henri de Beauregard in a letter that AFP was able to consult.
“A well-oiled scenario”
According to the main interested party, the party changed the rules during the summer. She assures the JDD that she had “renewed (her) contribution on November 1, 2021” and that she should therefore have paid it again “on the anniversary date, and not on January 1. Which means that I was up to date with my contribution until October 31, 2022, ”she concludes.
However, in his eyes, the party did not hesitate “to change the rules and maintain that only those who paid in the 1st half of 2022 are up to date with their contributions”. Virginie Calmels still renewed her subscription on July 26, “in view of their shenanigans”, she commented to the weekly.
For her, the refusal of her candidacy is a “maneuver” in a “well-oiled scenario (…) written in advance, consisting in installing Éric Ciotti as party president in order to put Laurent Wauquiez in orbit for 2027”.