French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has endorsed former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe as a presidential candidate for the elections scheduled for spring 2027, dispelling doubts about his own presidential ambitions, local media reported today.
"We are in an extremely difficult situation, socially difficult for the French people. That is why I have decided not to contribute to the division and therefore I am not running in the presidential election. I want to support, and I hope that everyone will do the same, Edouard Philippe in the presidential election," Darmanin told the newspaper La Voix du Nord.
Darmanin assessed that it was in France's best interest not to have many candidates for the presidential elections, scheduled in two rounds, on April 18 and May 2, 2027.
"I have a strong sense of loyalty, and Edouard Philippe gave me the opportunity to become a minister. I can assure you that he is a statesman with experience and that he is the best person for the job (of president of the country)," Darmanen added.
Philippe has already secured the support within the government of government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon and Minister Delegate for Ecological Transition Mathieu Lefevre, both politically close to Darmanin.
Edouard Philippe, who served as French President Emmanuel Macron's first prime minister from 2017 to 2020, announced his candidacy for the presidential election last year.
Philippe, now mayor of Avreux and president of the “Horizons” group (center-right), according to current polls, appears to be the leading candidate among the so-called centrist candidates for the 2027 elections. He is ahead in the polls of Gabriel Attal, also a former prime minister and close to the ruling coalition.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen is leading the first round of the presidential election, according to the latest polls, despite sanctions she received in July in a case of misuse of public funds related to parliamentary assistants of her National Rally party.
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