Gabriel Attal said on Monday that a primary to select a joint candidate for France’s centre and right ahead of the 2027 presidential election was inevitable, despite Edouard Philippe’s renewed opposition to the proposal.
Speaking on TF1, Attal argued that the primary was needed to bring candidates together and avoid a first round in which several contenders split the centre-right vote. He said that the lack of a selection method was creating confusion and division, and that a decision should be made by the beginning of the year, preferably sooner.
Philippe, the Horizons leader and mayor of Le Havre, rejected the idea on TF1 on Sunday, describing it as a “primary of division” and confusion. He called on his rivals to take responsibility in February, suggesting that he would draw his own conclusions if French voters wanted political change.
Attal responded that division did not result from holding a primary, but from having five candidates competing in the first round. He warned that a second round between Marine Le Pen of the National Rally and Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France insoumise would be far more damaging than the policy differences separating him from other potential candidates.
According to Attal, a primary could also provide a genuine debate about policies and ideas. He said the campaign should address issues including schools, wages, borders, innovation and artificial intelligence. He cited Senate President Gérard Larcher and Christine Lagarde, who has announced her departure from the European Central Bank, among the figures who could share the values represented in such a contest.
Attal also criticised behind-the-scenes negotiations over withdrawals, saying they were what turned voters away. He added that current polling tests conducted with candidates standing alone did not place either Philippe or himself in the second round.
Maud Brégeon, a government spokesperson and supporter of Philippe, said the proposed alliance needed to be based on a coherent platform. She argued that it could not extend from Raphaël Glucksmann’s left to politicians willing to work with Éric Ciotti, and said Philippe wanted to unite the centre with a right that made no compromises with the National Rally.
MoDem leader François Bayrou and David Lisnard, president of the Association of Mayors of France, also support organising a centre-right primary. Republican candidate Bruno Retailleau has not ruled it out, although he has set conditions concerning its scope.
Sources: Le Monde Politique.