PARIS – Gabriel Attal launched his 2027 presidential campaign on Saturday, seeking to establish himself as Emmanuel Macron’s heir, quietly shifting focus away from the European agenda that has defined the president’s political project.
European flags waved alongside the French tricolor to the strains of Beethoven Ode to Joy while Attal concluded a speech on Saturday launching his bid for the French presidency.
However, despite the symbolism, Europe appeared only faintly in his vision of France.
The contrast was amazing. Before Attal’s speech, Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko urged the French to show “wisdom and courage” to support strong leadership, while Rinovo Europe leader Valérie Hayer devoted part of her speech to defending the European project.
“The battle for Europe has been won,” Hayer said, crediting President Emmanuel Macron for putting Europe “at the center of the game.”
Attal, however, largely steered clear of the topic.
Renew Europe’s leader Valérie Hayer. (Credit: Daniel Peyronel)
Addressing supporters at Paris’ Porte de Versailles exhibition centre, the Renaissance leader laid out a platform built around four priorities: education, wages, borders and artificial intelligence. Europe barely surfaced, beyond references to Franco-German reconciliation and France’s place on the continent.
Attal enters the race at a turbulent time for French politics. President Emmanuel Macron remains unpopular, public finances are under strain with one of the EU’s highest deficits and support for both the far-right Rassemblement National and the left-wing La France Insoumise. remains strong. With the first round of presidential elections scheduled for April 2027, the race is already shaping up to be a battle for a increasingly polarized France.
He focused on domestic concerns, complaining about France’s productivity gap with the United States and dismissing what he described as sterile debates over raising or lowering the retirement age.
Using well-tested slogans – “for wages, it’s directly in the gross salary”, “a country that no longer controls its borders no longer controls its destiny” and “France will be the home of artificial intelligence” – Attal tried to position himself as the standard of the political center after Macron.
At the same time, the former prime minister appeared keen to distance himself from Macron, delivering a thinly veiled criticism of the president’s governing style.
“The exercise of power either constrains or enlightens,” he said. “Either it traps you in the stubborn belief that only you are right, or it shines a light on France,” in an apparent reference to Macron’s oft-criticized leadership style.
Attal also tried to draw a sharp dividing line against the far left and right, arguing that he did not want to simply contain La France Insoumise and the Rassemblement National, but to “smother” them.
Despite the high-profile launch, polls currently puts Attal below 10% in a first-round scenario that includes former prime minister Édouard Philippe, head of the center-right Horizons party.
However, Attal’s supporters insisted that the campaign had only just begun.
“Do you know what fatalism is? It’s the opposite of Attalism,” said Antoine Armand, the mayor of Annecy, summing up the mood among supporters despite unfavorable polls.
(cs)
