Former Nicolas Sarkozy counselor, pursued for “recel” and “diversion of public funds”, brushed a flattering portrait of his action, both as a survey specialist as a political advisor.
If he is not helpless to the bar, Patrick Buisson is not there. On the contrary, when he sees the word, the former influential counselor and the main protagonist of the “polls of the Elysée”, pursued for “recel” and “diversions of public funds”, does not loose more. Monday, October 25, on the fifth day of hearing in front of the 32 e Correctional Chamber of Paris, the “facilitator” and de facto manager of the publicifact, which benefited between 2007 and 2012 of past contracts Without call for tenders with the Elysee for the provision of opinion investigations and political counseling benefits, has embarked on a monologue of several hours destined to “make all the light” on the case.
With force gestures, Mr. Buisson, 72, works to narrate his role alongside Mr. Sarkozy, he has been advising since 2005 and with whom he converse to the phone “from one to four times by day “. What the new Head of State has bought in 2007, provides former advisor, it is a “high value-added service”.
First, that of a specialist of opinion who has “no competitor on the market”, thanks to his work with the Institute of OpinionWay surveys, pioneer of online investigations and therefore ” cheaper “than traditional polls. With this “young institute”, Mr. Buisson has set up a weekly survey barometer, the “Politoscope”. In the shedding jargon, it is called an “omnibus”: the same survey will be used both in partner media that buy it – LCI and FIGARO, then led by the ex-pattern of the TF1 group, Etienne Mougeotte – and by Mr. Buisson, who has access to the OpinionWay software, which he uses to provide the Elysee with a more qualitative analysis of the investigation. “There is a published part, and I take advantage of the reduced cost of the Omnibus to ask the questions that interest me”, “he summarizes.
His contract,” progress in the Moralization of public life “
In addition to this benefit – invoiced up to 1.5 million euros per year -, the “added value” of Mr Buisson also resides in his role as “Political Adviser” – paid as such 10,000 euros per months – referring the head of state to “register in the long time” his action or “managing the symbols to speak to the collective imagination”.
It also happens to Mr. Buisson to do a little “psychological coaching” to “restore reasons to fight” to a president who has “ups and downs”, thanks to a “call” … “Comforting?” Proposes President Benjamin Blanchet. “Yes, I also fill this role,” says Buisson, who is also defending “to exaggerate” his influence. But recalls that he was then working “eight hours a day for the History chain [Property of the TF1 group] and eight hours for the Presidency, not to mention the weekends”.
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