Lionel Laurent, Columnist

France’s Merkel or Thatcher Moment? Not Quite

Macron’s latest rival wants to become the country’s first female president by beating him at his own game. It will be hard.

December 6, 2021 at 9:41 AM UTC

By Lionel Laurent

Lionel Laurent is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist writing about the future of money and the future of Europe. Previously, he was a reporter for Reuters and Forbes.

Valerie Pecresse, after winning the Les Républicains nomination. — Valerie Pecresse, after winning the Les Républicains nomination.
Photographer: Chesnot/Getty Images Europe

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Valerie Pecresse, the French center-right’s pick to challenge Emmanuel Macron for the presidency next year, describes herself as a mix of Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher. This is bold talk for a candidate currently polling at 10%, who looks set to fail even to make the run-off vote.

The 54-year-old former minister aspiring to be France’s first female head of state looks more like someone planning to beat Macron at his own game.