Amid Political Inertia, Fmr PM Philippe Confirms Presidential Ambitions

While the focus of news outlets and markets remains on the inability of President Emmanuel Macron and any of the main political groups to agree on an acceptable PM candidate, one prominent politician has thrown his hat into the ring for the next presidential election due in 2027. Mayor of Le Harve and former prime minister Édouard Philippe has announced his intention to run to follow term-limited Macron into the Elysee Palace.

• Speaking to Le Point, Philippe confirmed his candidacy. It was widely assumed among observers that Philippe was likely to seek a run in 2027 (or earlier should the political situation remain deadlocked), but this marks the first time he has confirmed such intentions.
• Politico: "Philippe said his priority would be to tackle “the perils” facing France, including a crisis of democracy, budgetary woes, resistance to change and public order issues. He did not provide details of how he proposed to face those challenges."
• Philippe leads the centrist/centre-right Horizons party, which he founded in 2021 and sits as part of the pro-Macron Ensemble bloc in the National Assembly.
• The latest first-round polling (albeit from early July) from Harris Interactive shows Philippe as the candidate from Ensemble most likely to make the second round against clear frontrunner Marine Le Pen from the far-right Rassemblement National. Other potential Ensemble candidates (caretaker PM Gabriel Attal, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire) either trail or are level with far-left winger Jean-Luc Melenchon.