Paris (France) (AFP) – Opposed to the primary advocated by Gabriel Attal, Édouard Philippe must nonetheless relaunch his campaign, after a significant drop in the polls. With the desire to first address the right, against the backdrop of the end of the chaotic reign of

Published on: 03/11/2026 - 19:49

macronism and emergence of David Lisnard.

A “drift in the dark waters of the extreme right” (Olivier Faure, PS). “Racist slander” (Jean-Luc Mélenchon). A candidate who uses the violence of October 17 "to ostracize all immigrants from this country" (Dominique de Villepin): by deeming "patent" the "over-representation of young people from immigrant backgrounds" in the violence around the demonstrations since October 17, Édouard Philippe has attracted a barrage of criticism from the left and beyond.

His supporters logically stepped up to the plate, such as government spokesperson Maud Bregeon and Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin.

The Horizons candidate's teams rely on comments from pollster Jérôme Fourquet, who claims to have drawn from press articles on the first immediate appearances after October 17 the figure of "75% of bearers of Arab-Muslim first names or of African origin for the people who were referred".

“Édouard Philippe makes the very right-wing choice to consider that we must go poaching on the lands of the National Rally and use the words that it uses,” analyzes the socialist deputy Jérôme Guedj, who has known the mayor of Le Havre for several decades.

“However, there is one thing that I recognize: yes, there is a failure of integration in this country,” added the elected official from Essonne.

Still in the lead among the presidential camp candidates, Édouard Philippe is however in clear decline in the various polls to the point of being eliminated in the first round in favor of Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

A week ago, one of the executives of the Horizons campaign attributed this fall of the regime to Raphaël Glucksmann's victory in the social-democratic primary.

But for a Horizons parliamentarian interviewed this week, it is “the combination of October 17 + David Lisnard” which “intervenes at the worst time”.

Regarding the violence, Édouard Philippe had the opportunity from Emmanuel Macron's speech on October 18 to denounce a "country" which is no longer "controlled". A criticism which recalls his call for an early resignation of the head of state in October 2025.

“Not stupid”

“On October 17, it hurts us because people consider that we are co-responsible for what is happening in the country. That it is the fault of macronism in the broad sense, in which they include Édouard Philippe,” explains this same parliamentarian.

He deplores that his candidate, like the others in the presidential camp, is "absolutely inaudible on his proposals".

On TF1 on Sunday, Édouard Philippe tried to pass the mistrigri back to Gabriel Attal, established as a “continuer of Macronism”.

But "the French are not idiots. Édouard Philippe was the instigator of Macronism, he was Prime Minister for three years" (2017-2020), the Renaissance candidate retorts.

Another factor in the equation: the emergence, on his right, of the president of Nouvelle Énergie David Lisnard, who is even ahead of the Republican (LR) candidate Bruno Retailleau in certain recent polls.

Lisnard "eats us the electorate", recognizes support from Mr. Philippe, who nevertheless considers the phenomenon "transient".

But the presence of the mayor of Cannes complicates things. "Until now, Philippe did not want to harm Retailleau" but the often announced rallies of LR figures "did not take place", observes an executive from this party.

Courting the right-wing electorate first? With the risk, in mirror image, of abandoning a section in the center... "I'm not sure that we will catch up with the 30% who go to Glucksmann saying all day long + I am a man of the right +", scolds a Renaissance MP.

Édouard Philippe "left with great anxiety about being 'juppéized'. He said to himself: I'm shielding my right. I think his entourage made him think that there would be lots of LR rallies, that it was necessary to start by pushing Retailleau to withdraw, and then that he would return to the center. But the first step doesn't really work," continues this source, who judges that the candidate has "done nothing" to attract the center.

© 2026 AFP

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