With less than six months before the first round of France’s presidential election, concern is growing within Emmanuel Macron’s camp. Marine Le Pen is seen as a potential successor to Macron, while the president’s political bloc risks failing to reach the runoff. Former prime minister Édouard Philippe, previously viewed as a possible contender against the far right, has lost ground in recent polls, while La France Insoumise leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has gained support.
Macron does not consider a Le Pen-Mélenchon runoff inevitable. He believes the central bloc must first unite, followed by a broader coalition spanning social democrats to the right ahead of the election, scheduled for April 2027.
The president continues to see the race as shaped by three political blocs, in contrast with Philippe’s expectation that the traditional left-right divide will return. Macron argues that an agreement among those opposed to the extremes could support a single candidate for the political center, helping that candidate reach the runoff and, if elected, secure a majority in the National Assembly.
The coalition Macron envisages would extend from Raphaël Glucksmann to David Lisnard. The article notes that Lisnard has shown a close relationship with Sarah Knafo, a European lawmaker from Reconquête!.
Sources: Le Monde Politique.