A call for donations for Valérie Pécresse in a supermarket in Avignon? Nope !
The smallest penny seems to count so that Valérie Pécresse can reimburse her campaign expenses. A surfer says that by doing his lessons in an E.Leclerc supermarket in Avignon, he was offered to make a donation for the Republican candidate. “Amount: 11.65 euros. Round up to 12.00 euros for Valérie Pécresse “, can we read on the bank payment terminal.
Faced with the publication, some Internet users warn of possible fake news, but others are surprised at the approach: “A multimillionaire with three villas at more than 7 million euros, it’s a joke . “I can’t believe it, I crash everything on the spot, I leave the goods on the carpet and CIAO”, launches one of them. Others wonder: “Isn’t it illegal? »
FAKE
The E.Leclerc supermarket in Avignon, directly targeted by the publication, confirms to 20 minutes that he does not practice the solidarity district for the benefit of the campaign of Valérie Pécresse. “When we were told of the existence of this photograph, we first thought it was a joke,” explains the retail brand. “Of course it’s a fake. It is not a cause that we defend. »
If this publication has gone viral, it is undoubtedly because it refers to the appeal launched by the candidate the day after his failure in the first round of the presidential election. Valérie Pécresse has requested “emergency aid” from her constituents to complete the financing of her campaign. With only 4.73% of the vote, she is not eligible for reimbursement of campaign expenses, which only concerns candidates who have obtained more than 5% of the votes cast. The Republican candidate has reported a critical situation for his party which will not be reimbursed 7 million euros. Valérie Pécresse also declared that she was “personally indebted to the tune of 5 million euros”.
The method of collecting donations in the form of “solidarity rounding” is frequently used in small shops as well as in supermarkets. On the bank payment terminal, customers are offered the option of rounding up their bill to the next euro, with the difference being passed on to an association. Simply press the green button on the payment terminal to accept the donation, or the red button to decline.
On certain viral photographs suggesting a donation campaign for Valérie Pécresse, a text hides the date on the payment terminal. On other versions, the text is not present. It can sometimes read “16/04/2015” or “11/04/2022”. So many clues that put the chip in the ear: on their editing, some Internet users took the time to modify the date, others not.
In one week, Valérie Pécresse has already declared 1.4 million euros. The fundraising campaign should continue until mid-May, with the aim of reimbursing almost all of the costs incurred in the presidential campaign.