Presidential Election 2027: Renaissance Presses Gabriel Attal to Declare His Election

On Tuesday, Renaissance chose to accelerate its efforts and make its intentions clear. Its National Council officially called on Gabriel Attal to declare his candidacy for 2027, a week after Élisabeth Borne resigned from the party's presidency. The message is clear: in a Macronist camp shaken since the dissolution of parliament in 2024 and the weakening of the majority, the time for half-measures is over.

Behind the scenes, the Borne episode left its mark. The former prime minister had stated that she did not "completely" agree with the approach taken by Gabriel Attal, judging that it was "not necessarily being debated" internally, before abruptly resigning. The immediate consequence: the National Council, with its 303 members, was "exceptionally" chaired by MEP Fabienne Keller, in order to secure the adoption of an unambiguous motion.

A party that wants a leader, fast

A party that wants a leader, and fast. The vote itself was a foregone conclusion: 221 votes, or 91%, called on Attal to declare his candidacy, against 22 (9%) in favor of an internal primary, with 10 abstentions. The former prime minister now has until October 1st to announce his candidacy, a candidacy that "will only become effective after a vote by party members organized in the coming weeks," the party specifies. Political translation: they are pushing for a figurehead, but they are keeping a procedural loophole to secure legitimacy.

On the ground, Gabriel Attal didn't wait for official approval to act like a contender. Since the end of April, the release of his book has served as a launchpad, with travel, book signings, public meetings, and a rally already scheduled in Paris for May 30th. At this pace, the "pre-campaign" has the merit of a rare quality: it doesn't call itself one, but everyone recognizes it at first glance.

One major obstacle remains, even within the center bloc: Édouard Philippe, a declared candidate since the end of 2024. The president of Horizons has rallied his troops in Reims and is planning a public meeting in Paris on July 5, while the two former prime ministers are publicly discussing the prospect of a "rally" for a single candidacy. On the moderate right, they know the drill: unity is easily proclaimed, hard-won, and often comes at a high price as the deadline approaches.