Edouard Philippe must gain momentum at Paris rally

Former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will take a major campaign rally in Paris on Sunday to formally launch his bid in the presidential race. As the centre-bloc's favourite, he needs to succeed to stay ahead of rivals, notably Gabriel Attal. His team acknowledges that a weak performance would be unacceptable.

Edouard Philippe, former French Prime Minister and centre-bloc frontrunner for the presidency, will finally enter the presidential campaign in earnest with a major gathering in Paris on Sunday.

Philippe's team makes no secret that a poor showing at the rally would be unacceptable, especially as the candidate has repeatedly postponed the official launch of his campaign. Now is the time to gain momentum.

In Attal's shadow

Philippe's main rival within the centre-bloc is Gabriel Attal, also a former Prime Minister, who has been actively campaigning in recent weeks. Philippe must use the Paris rally to demonstrate that he is capable of withstanding Attal's pressure and consolidating centre-bloc support behind him.

POLITICO's editorial director Pauline de Saint Remy and head of the politics section Elisa Bartolomei discussed Philippe's situation on the Playbook Paris podcast, noting that the rivalry between centre-bloc candidates makes the forthcoming gathering particularly significant.

France's next presidential election is in 2027, and the campaign is still in its early stages, but Philippe's delays have raised questions about his strategy and readiness.