Arthur de Laborde / Photo credits: STEPHANIE LECOCQ / POOL / AFP 08:40 a.m., January 11, 2024

Édouard Philippe, the designated rival for 2027, broke his silence by describing Gabriel Attal's appointment to Matignon as "audacious". A sobriety that does little to hide a deep annoyance. For the former head of government, the road to a presidential candidacy now looks more complicated than expected.

The appointment of Gabriel Attal as Prime Minister is "a bold choice", Edouard Philippe said on Wednesday evening. "For my part, I had pleaded for Élisabeth Borne to remain at least until the European elections on the basis of the idea that it is difficult to change the prime minister if you do not change your policy or the majority," explained the former head of government, describing Gabriel Attal as "very talented, very talented" and "very popular". But beyond these laudatory descriptions, the supporters of the head of the Horizons party perceive the appointment of the former Minister of National Education as a real affront.

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Gabriel Attal is not really perceived as a threat

It's a "stab in the back," said a Horizons MP. According to him, with the arrival of Gabriel Attal, Emmanuel Macron is sending a clear signal: he wants to prepare his succession by removing Édouard Philippe. In the inner circle of the mayor of Le Havre, they are more measured and explain that at this stage, even if his popularity rating is very high, Gabriel Attal is not perceived as a real threat.

"2027 is still a long way off," said a source close to him, adding that "attalmania" could deflate the European elections if they fail or score averagely. "It's not Gabriel Attal who is the subject," sums up the former Prime Minister's entourage, explaining that it is the place given to Horizons within the future government that will count above all. "If our solidity and loyalty during the vote on the immigration law is not rewarded while the fractures have undermined our allies in the MoDem and Renaissance, it would be a declaration of war," warns another Horizons heavyweight.