Municipal: new deal in Le Havre for Édouard Philippe

Audio 02:56

By: Julien Chavanne

Édouard Philippe would like to find his chair as mayor of the great Norman port on June 28. The head of government will resume his campaign in the coming days. But the situation has changed.

Publicity

Édouard Philippe came out on top in the 1st round with just over 43% of the vote. Its communist competitor made almost 36%. But confinement turned the face of the election upside down. Before March 15, Édouard Philippe had conducted a very discreet first-round campaign, under the radar screens of the national media. At the time, he was faced with a strike against pension reform and CGT activists had disrupted his meetings from a distance

New deal

Today the situation has changed. First, the pension reform has been shelved. Emmanuel Macron preferred to avoid reopening a new front. Edouard Philippe is therefore rid of a disputed text for weeks on the street.

And then he became popular, even more popular than the president. His educational press conferences, his seriousness, hit the French. He appeared as the one who manages.

An elected official close to Edouard Philippe congratulates himself with a sober sobriety: "  The Prime Minister is in a favorable situation  ". This time, the national context could ultimately facilitate the local battle.

Competitor Prepares for New Campaign

On the other hand, it is complicated for the communist Jean-Paul Lecoq. He failed to seal an alliance with environmentalists. He also suffers from this post-containment campaign, without meetings, while Edouard Philippe, he is almost every day in front of the cameras. But Jean-Paul Lecoq has reservations of votes on the left, which is not the case for the Prime Minister.

And then, he still hopes to mobilize voters against the head of government by attacking him on the economic and social consequences of confinement ... The impoverishment of part of the population, the layoffs ... "  So many arguments that go in our direction,  " said the entourage of the Communist candidate.

Reshuffle in sight

A reshuffle could take place after the municipal elections. Will Edouard Philippe stay in Matignon? He would not intend to leave his chair, even if he won Le Havre, according to one of his relatives. But Emmanuel Macron could be tempted to change Prime Minister to embody the change promised to the French.

A member of the government sees it as a false good idea: "Edouard Philippe has already shown that he could evolve after the" yellow vests ", I do not see what he would prevent him from embodying the new page of the quinquennium".

"  Anything is possible,  " says a member of Parliament close to Edouard Philippe. "  Either he comes out in top form, or maybe he'll do 5 years. Only Emmanuel Macron decides.  "

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• French politics
• France
• Edouard Philippe
• 2020 municipal elections