“I recharged my batteries and caught my breath”

The scene had not been observed since the evening of his defeat in the first round of the presidential election. Friday, May 13, Valérie Pécresse returned to a stage to deliver a speech, as part of the inauguration of the “Biennale of architecture and landscape” of the Île-de-France region, in Versailles.

>> Presidential: from the flight during the LR primary to the crash of the first round, the disaster campaign of Valérie Pécresse

For her reappearance, the former candidate of the Republicans, therefore put on her costume as president of the region to speak. “I caught my breathshe explains at the microphone of franceinfo. I went for a walk in nature because it is the best resource.“

Valérie Pécresse assures that she is “back on his horse” to devote himself to his region. “I’m all in and I’m projecting myself into the futureadds the one who won 4.78% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election. Today, the subject is doing. In the place that is mine, I work on it. It’s my identity and it continues to be.”

“In politics, either you win or you learn. We will say that I learned a lot.”

Valerie Pécresse

at franceinfo

However, how not to think of this sword of Damocles still above the head of Valérie Pécresse: 5 million euros in campaign costs to be reimbursed? His entourage tells franceinfo that the call for donations has raised more than 2.5 million euros. His party, Les Républicains, also got its hands dirty.

Today, therefore, 800,000 euros are missing, to be collected by the end of May. The appeal for donations is extended for fifteen days. The entourage of the former candidate ensures that if necessary, Valérie Pécresse “will assume” her debts “with her head held high”.