Already eyeing the next French presidential election, Laurent Wauquiez, the influential conservative head of the wider Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, calls for the right to prepare for "the great event of 2027." Even if he does not lead the ticket for the Republicans, Wauquiez adds, "we must prepare ourselves now because for years, we have been preparing ourselves at the last minute and we have not given ourselves the means to build the recovery of our country." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES