She had left the political world before creating, among other things, a digital school. The former number two of the Republicans (LR), Virginie Calmels, announced, Tuesday August 23, her candidacy for the presidency of the party, on a line “balanced” et “at the epicenter of the different currents of LR”.
“I am a candidate for the presidency of the Republicans” car “I can’t resign myself to seeing LR chain defeats and continue to shrink without a clear line”she says in an interview with Figaro. The former assistant to Alain Juppé in Bordeaux and short-lived ally of Laurent Wauquiez, when he led the party, pleads for “reconnect with the disappointed LR”.
So far, only deputy Eric Ciotti (LR) has run for the presidency of the Republicans, whose election will be held on December 3 and 4.
defending a right “Equidistant from Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen” and that “associates freedom and restoration of sovereignty”Virginie Calmels, 51, promises to “give “wings and air to LR””. “I don’t believe in excluding lines, either [une ligne] statist and sovereignist, or [une ligne] too conservative [une ligne] illiberal which will complete the loss of right-wing voters”she adds.
Very critical of President Emmanuel Macron, whose “The “at the same time” daily shows its limits”she also thinks that “the great weakness of macronism is the sovereign”.
Sacked by Laurent Wauquiez
Representative of liberal sensibility within LR, Mme Calmels was sacked in June 2018 by Laurent Wauquiez, then party boss, and in open conflict with his number two. She had notably criticized an LR leaflet entitled “So that France remains France”distributed during a mobilization operation, which it had judged ” anxiety inducing “.
A graduate of the Toulouse Business School as well as the European Institute of Business Administration (Insead), former CEO of Endemol Monde, Virginie Calmels left politics in 2019 to join the luxury real estate group Barnes, then to launch a digital school in 2020.
The Republicans will elect their next president on December 3 and 4 (with possibly a second round, on December 10 and 11), to succeed Christian Jacob, whose interim is provided by Annie Genevard. The deputy for Doubs has let it be known that she is thinking about getting started, and many are betting on a candidacy of the party’s number three, Aurélien Pradié, holding a social line.
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