Support for the major parties, state subsidies, donations, Bank loans…. To each his own.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon: thanks to volunteers
What is the budget?
Candidate expects 8 million euros and is going to live within our means: a lot of volunteers, a dozen employees, a staff of modest size (250 square meters) and savings on all trips. At the same time one item of expenditure he could not miss. And have on it a lot. We are talking about security. After the terrorist attacks and the imposition of emergency candidates are required to fulfill certain requirements, that is to hire security and rent metal detectors during the meetings.
Where did the money go?
Jean-Luc Mélenchon has requested two loans. First, 5 million euros, he was granted, but refused the second at 3 million. Call the Bank team the candidate does not want to. In all other respects, unlike in 2012 (when he was an ally of the Communists and spent 9.5 million euros), it cannot rely on the help of the Communist party, even though she supports his candidacy, not participating in the elections official. Mélenchon cannot rely on major sponsors and is regularly requested support to the supporters. In the network, at meetings, etc. From the beginning of the campaign, he raised nearly 2 million euros. The average donation is 20 Euro. Recently on the background of the rise in his ratings in the polls a number of small gifts is increasing. Another source of funds becomes related products: t-shirts and mugs “Rebellious France” brought nearly 500 thousand euros. Donations and proceeds from sales provide approximately 3 million euros, which was denied for the second loan.
What questions arise?
With a budget of 8 million euros (and only for the first round) “Rebellious France” saves money. But what if (in the current insane campaign perhaps all) Jean-Luc Mélenchon will continue to rise and pass the second round? Does he have enough money for the campaign? Will he be able to urgently take a loan? Yet the candidate has no answers to these questions.
Benoit Hamon: the socialist party pays
What is the budget?
François Hollande at the time was not talking about austerity, and economical expenditure. The same applies to team Benoit Amon, who does not want his campaign considered it a cheap (budget of 15 million euros from 16.8 valid until April 23), but keeps track of every single Euro. They enlisted the help of an economist, who worked for the socialist party in 2012. Swami Elio (Elio Suhamy) carefully analyzes all costs associated with the campaign to maximally reduce them. Says responsible for Finance Regis Juanico (Régis Juanico), “democracy has a price, but it can be controlled”.
Where did the money go?
The candidate from the socialist party has a lot of advantages. Its financial position is strong: “no debts”, as it celebrates its financier Jean-Francois DeBa (Jean-François Debat). In addition, it has the headquarters in the street of Solferino, which gives confidence to banks. Wave 2012 gave the socialists a serious safety cushion of public funds: approximately 25 million euros per year. As a result, the socialist party has allocated 6 million euros for their candidate and took out a loan in his name at his Bank of Crédit coopératif 8 million, which came at the expense of the campaign. A unique situation for 2017. It also added 105 thousand euros of donations (command expects the final amount to 200 thousand). In the fight for transparency with the Fillon and Macron Amon decided to make automatic publishing of names of those who will transfer to him the sum of 2 thousand 500 euros. As a result, the staff received a lot of checks in the amount of 2 thousand 400 euros.
What questions arise?
The devil, as you know, is in the details: once the socialists are now in power, they need to clearly separate the revenues from public money paid only their bodyguards. Failure in the elections in recent years, the socialist party receives less from its members: they list her 500 euros a month (the same tradition the Communists). Today, things are good, but in regard to the future life of the party and prospects to 2022, “it all depends on parliamentary elections” in June, recognizes Jean-Francois DeBa.
Emmanuel macron: a pile of donations
What is the budget?
“Before the first round, we believe the cost figures in the 13-14 million,” — noted in the entourage of Emmanuel Macron. This is significantly below the maximum allowable amount to 16.8 million. In the case of getting to the second round the candidate from “Forward!” expects to spend another 2.8 million euros, which again is much below the maximum (22.5 million in total). Anyway, the candidate and his team travel in second class carriages and flying economy flights are not for fun and not because of some moral principles. “We have linked our budget,” explains a member of staff.
Where did the money go?
Unlike most of its rivals Makron gets nothing from the state. His movement created a year ago, no Deputy, and therefore no right to claim any subsidies. From a legal point of view, “Forward!” still is a simple Association that is not bound to facing the parties to the funding rules. Anyway, macron made it clear that it intends to strictly comply with them. His financial salvation became private donations. Speak to people via the Internet, meetings with potential sponsors, tour in London, new York and Brussels… For the year “Forward!” managed to collect 9 million euros. Unknown result. Anyway, this is not enough to Finance a presidential adventure. Then former economy Minister appealed to the banks. After negotiations (unlike the socialist party and “Republicans” Makron can’t imagine the headquarters of as collateral) one of them agreed to allocate a loan of 8 million euros.
What questions arise?
Do Makron their sponsors? François Bayrou (François Bayrou) in the past hinted at it, calling him a candidate of “money.” Benoit Amon adheres to the same position and repeatedly called the leader of “Forward!” to publish a list of its biggest donors. According to his entourage, 1.7 percent of them made donations of more than 5 thousand euros. That is, at 631 person has more than one third of all collected funds movement… whatever it was, call them names Makron is going.
Francois Fillon: not fictitious funds
What is the budget?
Taught by bitter experience, Nicolas Sarkozy, whose account of the campaign of 2012 was declared invalid because it exceeded the allowable maximum, françois Fillon promises to be careful and to keep a safety reserve. His expenses should be significantly less than 16.8 million in the first round and 22.5 million in a hypothetical second round.
Where did the money go?
In financial terms to worry the candidate from “Republican” about. He can count on to “profit” from the November primaries. Each of the 8.5 million who came to the voters (total for two rounds) paid 2 euros, which gave a total of 17 million. After payment of the organizational costs (7 million euros), The management of the primaries, as follows from its Statute, transferred the remaining 10 million to Finance the campaign of françois Fillon. Candidate can also count on donations from supporters. They account for more than 3 million euros. In addition, the former Prime Minister took 5 million in “Republicans”. Finally, he reserves the right if necessary to take a loan from microparti “Republican forces”, which he founded in 2012.
What questions arise?
The problem Fillon that he has too much money. If he spends in the first round of all donations in addition to the 10 million from the Supreme control of the primaries, you will not be able to fully take advantage of the state reimbursement. This compensation (up to 8 million in the first round with a result, more than 5%, and 10.7 million when getting into the second round) is determined by the amount taken by the candidate loans. Time be reimbursed only loans, Fillon decided to take as much money as possible and to reduce the share of donations in the campaign budget. That is why a candidate received donations go to the piggy Bank of its microparty, not funding the campaign of the Association. Thus, if necessary, “Republican force” will provide the candidate loan to the campaign.
Marine Le Pen: foreign loan
What was its budget?
“We no longer provide information on the financing of the campaign.” In recent years, it is so in the National front say to those who are interested in this topic. Party and so typical of the traditional secrecy, but now the issue is particularly sensitive for the background investigations in relation to certain members and suppliers of the NF on the alleged fraud to the detriment of the state. At the end of 2016 spoke on this subject a financier of the party Vallerand de Saint-just (Wallerand de Saint-Just) imagined the following scene: “a great budget for the presidential election is 12 million euros: 9 for the first round and 3 in the second. Assuming 8 million in the parliamentary elections, obtained a total of 20”. In 2012, marine Le Pen has spent 9.1 million on the drip, which stopped in the first round.
How do you get funding?
The company was allocated funds of the National front (the exact amount the staff can’t name), and also two loans from microparti Jean-Marie Le pen “Cotelac” totaling 6 million Euro. Anyway, all this is not enough: the rest of the money must come from foreign banks, since the French, according to the NF responded to the request on failure. In the fall of 2016, “we have received proposals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but they were not accepted for reasons of political continuity”, says the MEP Mono NF Bernard (Bernard Monot). “In 2012, the loan from Société générale came a week before the first round, adds Vallerand de Saint-just. Therefore we need to get together and not to lose heart”. As for private donations, the staff did not report any of their number or amounts.
What questions arise?
The provision of NetFront in 2014 loan of 9.4 million euros from a Russian Bank raised the question of the relationship of the party with the Kremlin. Anyway, its representatives argue that the next loan won’t come from Russia. In addition, people are interested in the role in a future parliamentary campaign of microparti “Jeanne”, which plays a mainly financial role and has been in the center of the suspected fraud.
