And if it was him ? Could Jean Castex be the surprise candidate for the 2027 presidential election? The name of the former Prime Minister circulated at political lunches and in the corridors of power. The rumor comes from the ranks of macronie.
It is a little music that we hear in several ministries, but also with deputies in the Assembly. Jean Castex, 57, his southwestern accent, his bonhomie, his popular common sense, would – according to these rumors – have the profile of a serious candidate for the next presidential election of 2027. The senior official was the “mister deconfinement” of the government before to become prime minister. This train enthusiast now heads the RATP. And while he himself has never said anything about his desire to return to politics, some are agitated behind the hypothesis of a candidacy.
The man of the territories
According to his fans, Jean Castex would be the one who could put France back together. He who would manage to speak to the territories. Politically, his DNA is right-wing, but his ability to dialogue would allow him to speak to unions and the opposition without rushing them. The perfect man, according to his defenders, to bring together a country shaken by “yellow vests” and protests against pension reform.
Does he want it?
Impossible to say. Jean Castex has never mentioned 2027 publicly. Although in the pages of Figaro, he dismisses the idea of a candidacy, without completely closing the door. ” I am completely focused on the success of my task. I don’t have time to know what I’m going to do in two, four or five years he told the newspaper. But the former mayor of Prades himself asked to leave Matignon, a sign of his desire to put his national career on hold.
A credible hypothesis?
Not really. On paper, Jean Castex has a unifying profile, it’s true, the French know him, it’s also true. But politically, he is on his own. No network, no supporters, no team to structure a movement around him. The ex-Prime Minister seems to have moved on and is sending no signal that he wants to get back into national politics, let alone get into a presidential battle.
Where does this rumor come from?
That’s the real question: who has an interest in spreading this noise? When we take a closer look, pulling a new name out of the hat for 2027 means making it clear to the contenders for the Élysée that nothing is decided yet. In other words, that part of the macronie has not given up on finding an heir to Emmanuel Macron. Message addressed to Édouard Philippe, Bruno Le Maire, Gérald Darmanin or even François Bayrou who are already thinking a lot about the next presidential election. Castex 2027 would ultimately only be a flash in the pan intended to parasitize the candidacies of the self-appointed successors of Emmanuel Macron.