This second five-year term like no other is far from over, yet 2027 and its cohort of putative candidates are already moving forward. THE last reshuffle with Gabriel Attal at its head is already far away, here are the European elections from all the dangers. Behind the scenes, some are learning to dodge tripping, others are familiarizing themselves with the art of conspiracy, in short, everyone is preparing for the post-Emmanuel Macron era with rigor and determination. The L’Express political department offers to help you follow, thanks to a weekly meeting on our websitethe progress of those ambitious people who hope to climb, quickly and without injury, the steps of power.
Attal – Bardella: Le Pen’s entourage tempers the duo’s rise
A debate ? Oh yes, it’s true that that’s all we talk about anymore. It’s been a few weeks since the television confrontation between Gabriel Attal and Jordan Bardella has been talked about in both camps. The president of the National Rally could not be more delighted. Since the time he’s been asking for it. He who sees himself more and more in Matignon is offered, by Macronie, a new opportunity to consolidate his stature – Emmanuel Macron having strongly encouraged his Prime Minister to take part in the exercise. In Marine Le Pen’s entourage, we take a semi-benevolent look at this meeting presented as the duel of the years to come. “It’s true that it’s an event, but you notice that this duel is not visible in the voting intentions. The real opponent of the presidential camp is Marine Le Pen.” And a second added: “Yes, he is good at debate, but that would be known if that was enough to be a good leader.” Everyone will still be in front of their television sets at 8:15 p.m. this Thursday. You have to support your troops.
Macron considered sending Attal to New Caledonia
Before regaining his senses and remembering that he was the best at resolving all kinds of crises, Emmanuel Macron still thought for a moment of sending Gabriel Attal to New Caledonia. The idea crossed his mind this weekend. If we add up the flight time (some 50 hours) and the time spent on site, we slowly come to the conclusion that the Prime Minister would not have been able to honor the televised debate against Jordan Bardella scheduled for Thursday May 23. And this is precisely what appealed to the head of state, according to one of his interlocutors. If he wins this expected media duel against the head of the RN list, Attal will be able to draw the consequences for the rest of his political career. The president, always keen to help his prime ministers stay in their swimming lane, obviously expects the current tenant of Matignon to get involved in the European file but if possible by shining moderately. Finally, he judged Attal “too new” for a trip to New Caledonia. Hoping that the results of the presidential trip would eclipse the fallout from the TV debate?
Philippe-Darmanin: little disagreement between friends
Friendship requires frankness. The Minister of the Interior did not really like the request made by Edouard Philippe to see Matignon take back the reins of the New Caledonia file. “If we were to wonder about the reserved domain of the Prime Minister, New Caledonia would be in it,” declared the former Prime Minister, according to The world, during his hearing as part of the bill expanding the territory’s electoral body in the Assembly, a few weeks earlier. In order not to harbor acrimony against his friend from Le Havre, Gérald Darmanin – who fought to recover Overseas in his portfolio in Beauvau – sent him a short SMS to, in essence, mean that all this lacked a little courtesy. Astonishment of the recipient who, in public as in private, repeats that “Gérald has nothing to reproach himself for in this matter”, according to one of his relatives. Edouard Philippe therefore endeavored to reassure his comrade in writing, ensuring that the subject of his remarks was absolutely not the inaction of Beauvau but rather the neglect of the Caledonian file by Matignon for four years. And to invite Darmanin to read the exact verbatim of his declarations to the Assembly, a bit distorted by the press. New Caledonia should not be used as a pretext for Darmanin to soften his support for Edouard Philippe with a view to 2027.
François Hollande too “radioactive” for Raphaël Glucksmann
If Raphaël Glucksmann appeared with former socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin on Wednesday May 22, it is still not the case with François Hollande. No stroll planned, no souvenir photo of a discreet tête-à-tête which would surreptitiously leak into the press. The Public Place candidate for the European elections has still not sent an invitation card to the former President of the Republic, who nevertheless openly supports him. From there to say that the first keeps the other at bay… This is in any case what a good number of socialist elephants, mostly Dutch, conclude, who concede, bitterly: “François is still too radioactive”, a reference to his five-year term which saw the PS tear itself apart and begin the beginning of its slow and long political fall. On the Glucksmann side, we defend ourselves from any sidelining of the ex-president, while recalling that the candidate did not change line or program between 2019 – a time when Hollande and several socialists had criticized the choice from the head of the list – and 2024. “Yesterday, his whole clan said that we were leftists but we did not change. If François Hollande supports our program, which is the same as in 2019, and he is agree with the taxation of large fortunes, agree with our restrictive ecological measures for the economy and agree with the end of free trade agreements, that is very good”, explains Glucksmann’s entourage.
Europeans: environmentalists have the “shocks”
Marie Toussaint’s campaign continues to collapse. Voting intentions are close to the fateful 5% mark, synonymous with the worst for ecologists: no MEPs. A first in 25 years which makes the green staff dizzy. “If the ship sinks, we will have to re-examine everything: the line, the future of Marine Tondelier (the leader), the alliances, the strategy. Everything, from floor to ceiling,” shouts a renowned environmentalist. Even socialists are worried about it. “It’s not a good thing if they make less than 5”, concedes a PS senator. We could have had a dynamic together. They are not an additional force, but a partner.”
Especially since, on the evening of June 9, a new campaign begins: that of the municipal elections. If the socialists are committed not to cause trouble in already green cities (Lyon, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Poitiers, etc.), the matter is more complex at EELV where the local decides a lot. Thus, it is rumored that the ecologists have long teeth and are eyeing Nantes town hall, a throne already occupied by Johanna Rolland. And there are the “successions”, Lille and Paris. In the first, who will succeed Martine Aubry? In this old socialist stronghold, rebels and environmentalists are suspected of cooking up a deal under the radar, keeping the socialists out of discussions. But the latter discuss other scenarios with other ecologists, such as Karima Deli, more social-compatible than Insoumise. And what can we say about Paris where Anne Hidalgo is supposed not to return to service for a third term: Yannick Jadot, as told by L’Express last week, is dying of envy, but other ecologists, tending Sandrine Rousseau, do not do not see this favorably. The Insoumis, in ambush, intend to have their say in the capital, where leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his Parisian deputies have scored well. The left is definitely not done arguing.
Mélenchon, Senegal… and the Europeans
Visiting Senegal last week, Jean-Luc Mélenchon continues his seduction operation in Africa. The leader of La France Insoumise, strong supporter of the African Patriots for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (Pastef) – opponents of the previous Macky Sall regime -, became the first French political leader to be received by Ousmane Sonko, the head of government of the new power in place. A trip during which the Insoumis will have cultivated its anti-imperialist rhetoric, and marked differences of principle with the current regime on the subject of LGBT. “For the Senegalese, Mélenchon is the president of France,” says a rebellious oilman, who avoids none of the parallel issues of this trip. “And then there are 900,000 Franco-Senegalese [NDLR : 1,1 million selon le consul]…and a million votes is 5% in the European elections.”
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