Former prime minister Gabriel Attal has moved a step closer to a likely presidential bid after the ruling Renaissance party’s National Council formally called on him to run in the 2027 election, further consolidating his grip on the party founded by Emmanuel Macron.
Meeting on Tuesday evening, the National Council – often described as the Renaissance party’s “parliament” – adopted a motion urging the party’s secretary-general to stand as a presidential candidate in 2027.
Attal, France’s former prime minister, now has until 1 October to officially declare his candidacy.
According to the party, his bid would only become final after a vote by Renaissance members expected in the coming weeks.
The motion passed overwhelmingly, winning 221 votes – or 91 percent – against 22 votes in favour of holding an internal primary. Ten members abstained.
The 303-member council was chaired “exceptionally” by MEP Fabienne Keller following the resignation of Elisabeth Borne last week, herself a former prime minister.
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Party tensions
Borne stepped down as chair of the National Council last Wednesday, saying she did not “fully identify" with the political direction taken by Attal and suggesting that some of his positions had “not necessarily been debated” within the party.
Borne had already suffered a political setback at the end of 2024 when she failed to prevent Attal – her successor at Matignon – from taking control of Renaissance in the aftermath of Macron’s dissolution of the National Assembly.
Her resignation nevertheless highlights lingering tensions within Macron’s political camp, as potential successors position themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
For Attal, however, the latest vote effectively clears the internal path towards a formal campaign announcement.
The 36-year-old has already been intensifying his public profile since the publication of his book in late April, embarking on a series of nationwide visits, book signings and political meetings.
He is also due to hold a major rally in Paris on 30 May, a move widely seen as the unofficial launch of his presidential ambitions.
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Philippe building momentum
Attal is not the only former prime minister manoeuvring within the pro-Macron bloc.
Édouard Philippe, leader of the centre-right Horizons party, declared his intention to run for the Élysée in late 2024.
Philippe gathered senior members of his party in Reims on Sunday and is expected to stage a large public meeting in Paris on 5 July, as he continues to build support.
Despite the growing rivalry, both Attal and Philippe have publicly floated the possibility of eventually rallying behind a single candidate in order to avoid divisions within the centrist camp.
With Macron constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, attention within the presidential majority is increasingly turning towards potential candidates for 2027, with Tuesday’s vote strengthening Attal’s position within Renaissance.
(with newswires)
