Paris, Dec. 4 (BNA): Valerie Pecresse, president of the Paris region and a former conservative minister, has been chosen to run in France’s presidential race next year as the Republican Party’s candidate, a decision that could significantly shape the April elections.
She took 61% of the vote in the party’s primaries while candidate Eric Ciotti, a hard-line MP from Nice, got 39%. The Associated Press said about 140,000 registered Republican members were eligible to participate.
If elected by French voters, Pecres has vowed to “break” with the centrist policies of incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to seek a second term but has not yet officially announced his candidacy.
She also warned voters against backing far-right candidates, saying only conservatives could unite the French people and ease tensions in the country.
Immigration and security emerged as major issues in the party’s primaries in large part because another presidential candidate jumped into the race this week, far-right former television analyst Eric Zemmour.
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