2023-08-30 19:28:50
The end of the year is the time for New Year’s Eve! But for the candidates for the primary of the right and the center which will be played in November 2016, the hunt for donations is all year round. The race for big donors is well underway for those who are already campaigning, such as François Fillon, Alain Juppé, Bruno Le Maire, Nadine Morano and Hervé Mariton. Not yet declared, Nicolas Sarkozy or Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet are nonetheless active. In this campaign where not one euro will be granted by the party to the candidates, the advantage is considerable for the one who will have collected the most money to finance his meetings, his documents, his premises.
To achieve this, you have to wet your own shirt, convince potential donors to take out the checkbook. This often happens during confidential dinners in Parisian apartments, on the occasion of a drink in a brasserie, at the end of conferences sometimes given abroad, and of course on social networks where the hunting ground is limitless. But the ceiling authorized by law remains 7,500 euros?¬ per donor and per year, donated to the microparties of the candidates.
Picnic and Facebook for Juppé 2.8 million already collected
At Alain Juppé, fundraising is a well-oiled machine. A team of 16 people is dedicated to it, and the candidate dines himself once or twice a month in Paris with major donors. In one year, he has already amassed 2.8 Mâ?¬! Or almost half of the amount he intends to devote to the defense of his candidacy. The last meeting took place in a Parisian apartment on December 15, where for an hour and a half Juppé explained his project and answered questions. A dozen people paid him that evening nearly 35,000 euros?¬.
Indispensable, the most generous patrons euros?? 200 people with more than 1,000 euros?¬ donation each euros?? are not the only ones that the candidate caresses in the direction of the hair. Last July, a barbecue in Suresnes (Hauts-de-Seine) was organized to attract “small” donors. Result of the picnic: 20,000 euros?¬ reported.
Juppé has a file of 5,000 “small donors”. And the donations are higher following the candidate’s television appearances. But not only. “We recorded a peak when he was booed at the Republican Congress in May…” confides Marie Guevenoux, in charge of fundraising. In addition to reminders to donors by telephone or email, the Juppé team has also launched into advertising. In this case on Facebook, where it targets LR sympathizers. “We invested 700 euros?¬ in this ad, it brought us 4,200. We therefore planned to go further, by investing 2,500 euros?¬”, we slip.
Sarkozy has his networks… and the party? million
Officially, he is not yet a candidate. However, Nicolas Sarkozy has already put himself in battle order to launch euros?? discreetly euros?? his fundraising for the primary. No question for the president of the Republicans party, in the race for money, to be left behind by his main rivals. “He has always maintained his network of donors. He has a whole circle of silver people that he sees regularly, ”says a relative, while refusing to communicate on the amounts already collected.
Two volunteers are currently exclusively responsible for raising funds for Nicolas Sarkozy. Among them, an American-style fundraising professional who wishes to remain anonymous.
But the team will grow when the candidate officially enters the campaign. All sums collected euros ?? whether they come from small or large euro donors?? are donated to the Nicolas Sarkozy Action Support Association, a structure created by his lifelong friend, Brice Hortefeux. His paid conferences abroad are talked about
Boss of the party and candidate in the making, a double hat which nevertheless makes people talk: “He takes advantage of the firepower of the party, his travels are paid for by the Republicans and this also allows him to position himself for the primary! thus chokes one of his competitors. The same is annoyed by the famous highly paid conferences abroad, which the former head of state has not given up.
Fillon copies Obama’s recipe 1.7 million already collected
François Fillon wastes no time. Last Wednesday, barely had he inaugurated his new campaign premises, boulevard Saint-Germain (VIIe), that he received around forty major donors. How much did they give? “It’s more subtle than that. Sometimes you have to see them three or four times before convincing, ”says business manager Pierre Danon, responsible for raising funds for the primary candidate. The format is often the same: “People are standing and he is talking in their midst. In an atmosphere of orange juice, coke and peanuts. »
Launched almost two years ago, Fillon has already collected 1.7 Mâ?¬ and is aiming for 1.5 or even 2 more for 2016. Sums that are used to pay for his trips to the provinces (on average two per week), but also the expenses related to the HQ (rented 100,000 euros?¬ for one year, electricity, heating and salaries of four collaborators), as well as the printing of brochures.
Beyond the big donors, who are entitled to meetings every week, Fillon maintains the file of 10,000 supporters of his Republican Force association. It relies on an army of volunteers who are very active on the Internet. Witness the actions of crowdfunding (crowdfunding), inspired by the Obama method. “When François Fillon launched his proposals on housing, we sent them to professionals in the sector, identified via professional sites, social networks, etc., explains Pierre Danon. Out of 250,000 messages, 3% were followed by a donation, for a collected amount of 20,000 euros?¬. It’s encouraging ! »
The Mayor targets expatriates 1 million already collected
Three million ! This is the total amount that Bruno Le Maire wants to raise for the campaign. The member for Eure spares no effort. Just last week, he hosted two breakfasts and a dinner with major donors in Paris. “He plays the proximity card. Never more than five people around him for this kind of meeting. It usually lasts an hour, ”notes his entourage. To date, the primary candidate has collected nearly 1 Mâ?¬.
“You have to constantly convince, we swear. Especially at the end of the year, when potential donors should know that they have until December 31 to be able to benefit next year from the 66% tax reduction for donations. “It is the business manager Alain Missoffe, brother of Françoise de Panafieu and from the Wendel industrial dynasty, who is responsible for Le Maire to collect the “big donations”. Understand: between 3,000 and 7,500 euros?¬, the ceiling limit authorized by law. “But there are also a lot of people who give 10, 20, 30 euros?¬. Put together, that’s a very nice amount of money on arrival, ”says Missoffe.
Like Juppé and Fillon, Le Maire has increased his trips to French people abroad in recent months to raise funds. Particularly in major European capitals such as London, Brussels and Geneva, with expatriates known to have “greater financial margins”, deciphers a close friend of Bruno Le Maire.
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