First item of expenditure that flies away: the printing of campaign documents. Leaflets, posters, candidate programs. But also what is called in the jargon “the R39”, the official propaganda: ballots, professions of faith, posters posted on D-Day in front of the polling stations.
This represents a lot of paper needs, especially if you want to cover the entire electorate, some 48 million French people registered on the lists. And you have to imagine that each of the 12 candidates will have a considerable amount of documents printed. And it is expensive… More and more expensive, even!
Two reasons explain this: first, many candidates, few printers. The number of actors capable of responding to this work overload is few. They must also be able to comply with the specifications established by the State, with a particular weight of paper for example. But above all, and this is the inflation effect, paper itself is more and more expensive. The supply tensions observed since the health crisis have not been resolved. Result : “The cost per leaflet, 15 to 20% higher than expected”says a treasurer. “We are told maybe there is no paper for everyone”, worries another. Especially since it is not the only position that increases.
Rising gas prices also have an effect on campaign budgets. Take the example of Marine Le Pen. A dozen buses in the colors of his campaign have been criss-crossing France since the beginning of February. Inevitably, the fuel bill is higher than expected. “A few thousand euros moreslips a member of his team, but nothing that the countryside cannot absorb.” The meetings are also more expensive, because the service providers who move their equipment also see their fuel bill soar. All of this has an effect on campaign budgets.
At this point, no one is talking about canceling a public meeting, or printing fewer leaflets to fit within the allowable spending nails. Because the budgets were established by leaving room for manoeuvre. In the staffs, it is expected above all that the bill will increase further in the interval between the two towers, with the first effects of the war in Ukraine. “We will see at that time if we reduce the sails or not”we say for example at Emmanuel Macron.