France’s conservatives choose leader to rattle Macron’s perch

Frontrunner to lead the party of former presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy is Laurent Wauquiez.

By: Reuters | Paris | Published: December 10, 2017 2:28 pm

france, french politics, emmanuel macron, france president, right wing, conservatives, france opposition, liberals, indian express

Emmanuel Macron (Files)

In his first seven months in office, President Emmanuel Macron has faced little opposition. But come Sunday, the once-dominant Republicans elect a new leader they hope might recover the party’s voice. Frontrunner to lead the party of former presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy is Laurent Wauquiez, an ambitious 42-year-old who like Macron passed through the elite ENA school and promises to shake up the political establishment.