At the heart of political rumors, the question of a potential disagreement between Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal was addressed head-on by the former Prime Minister during a five-day trip to the island of Reunion. If we could think of angry men, Édouard Philippe, who would have “pleaded for the maintenance of Élisabeth Borne” in place of the appointment of Gabriel Attal, clarified the situation with disarming frankness in an interview given to Parisianpublished this Thursday, February 22. “Everyone will want to play the Attal/Philippe match. It’s as expected as it is uninteresting”he declared, referring to the 2027 presidential election, before revealing: “With Gabriel, we speak regularly, we even had dinner together shortly after his arrival at Matignon. It’s going very well, he’s a professional, I have no problem with it. And even if I can help him, well, I will help him.”
By 2027, power plays and future alliances are already beginning to take shape. According to revelations from Patrice Duhamel to Paris Match on January 25, Emmanuel Macron would have a marked preference for Gabriel Attal as potential successor, rather than for Édouard Philippe. While Édouard Philippe, who admitted to being not very enthusiastic about the Attal government, has never hidden his interest in the highest office of the State, the current president seems to be directing his choice towards the youngest Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic.
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Gabriel Attal would not represent a threat to Édouard Philippe’s entourage
Behind the scenes, Édouard Philippe’s entourage remains calm in the face of the rise in power of Gabriel Attal. A close friend of the former Prime Minister, cited by Challenges on February 22, minimizes the threat represented by the ex of Stéphane Séjourné, judging its support base “extraordinarily fragile”, particularly on crucial aspects for a presidential candidacy. This same source estimates that Gabriel Attal will “crumble again and again as the tests progress”and Édouard Philippe will only have to “accelerate slowly” to maintain its lead.
Photo credits: Jonathan Rebboah / Panoramic / Bestimage