Municipal elections: Édouard Philippe and the temptation of Le Havre

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on June 10, 2020 at the Élysée Palace. Ludovic Marin / Pool

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What will become of the Prime Minister? It is one of the unknowns after the municipal elections in late June. Will he be swept away by the upcoming reshuffle? Will he become mayor of Le Havre where he is well placed to be re-elected? In an interview with the newspaper "Paris Normandie", Édouard Philippe says he is ready for any eventuality.

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His line does not move, but his calendar could accelerate. As he said when declaring himself a candidate last February, Édouard Philippe will still stay in Matignon if he is elected in Le Havre .

And it's off to a good start. A local survey gives him the winner. At the national level, his popularity rating even exceeds that of Emmanuel Macron.

Back to Le Havre?

But the former mayor recognizes that he could find his chair at the town hall "  much sooner  " than the end of the five-year term. Its replacement is one of the options studied by Emmanuel Macron. A reworking is in preparation. The head of state wants to open a new page after the coronavirus crisis and two years from the next presidential election. With or without Édouard Philippe? A priori response in July.

In campaign

In the meantime, the always Prime Minister will resume his campaign in Le Havre. A very limited campaign: no meetings and minimal media exposure.

His communist opponent Jean-Paul Lecoq is determined to nationalize the ballot, to make it a referendum for or against the government. He will appear this Friday alongside the leader of France rebellious (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

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

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