Gabriel Attal considers a primary election with the right and center for the 2027 presidential elections.

Paris – 05/26/2026: Gabriel Attal, former Prime Minister and president of the Renaissance party, has officially announced his candidacy for the 2027 presidential elections. In a speech in the village of Mur-de-Barrez in southern France on May 22, 2026, the 37-year-old expressed his ambition to lead the country and to distance himself from the era of his predecessor Emmanuel Macron.

Attal emphasized the need to strengthen the political center and to offer an alternative to the polarizing forces of La France Insoumise (LFI) and the National Rally (RN). In this context, he considered the possibility of a primary within the Macronist camp to elect a common candidate and avoid vote splitting. He said: “If at the beginning of 2027 there is a risk of a second round between LFI and RN, in which my political space is not represented due to vote splitting, then naturally there must be an agreement.”

These statements from Attal raise questions about the willingness of other potential candidates to submit to such a primary. In particular, Édouard Philippe, former Prime Minister and president of the Horizons party, has already announced his candidacy and has repeatedly opposed the idea of a primary. Philippe has stressed the importance of dialogue between parties and has promoted a “liaison committee” with Horizons and the MoDem to unite the center and center-right space.

The discussion about a possible primary within the Macronist camp is part of a broader political maneuver aimed at preventing fragmentation of the electoral potential and designating a common candidate for the 2027 presidential elections. In this sense, 90 deputies from the right and center have published a call for unity in “La Tribune Dimanche” to find a common candidate and avoid a possible second round between LFI and RN.

Despite these efforts, the political landscape remains fragmented. Besides Attal and Philippe, Bruno Retailleau of the Republicans and Gérald Darmanin of the party “La République En Marche” have also expressed their ambitions for the presidency. The different approaches and the question of the leadership role within a possible unification make it difficult to create a common candidate.

The coming months will be decisive to see whether the various actors are willing to set aside their differences and form a common front to strengthen the political center and prevent the division of the electoral potential. The discussion about the primary could play a key role in designating a consensual candidate and maximizing the chances for the 2027 presidential elections.