David Lisnard is ready to face Édouard Philippe in a right and center primary, but certainly not to rally to him. Invited to BFMTV on Tuesday, November 3, the mayor of Cannes and candidate of Nouvelle Énergie for the 2027 presidential election specified the conditions under which he would accept to participate in a joint competition with other contenders. “I will not support Édouard Philippe if he wins the primary, but I will respect [le résultat],” he declared. A position that sums up his strategy: accept the voters’ verdict without giving up his convictions or endorsing a political project he opposes.
The president of Nouvelle Énergie has been advocating for several months the organization of a large open primary for the right and center. His goal is to avoid multiple candidacies in the first round while refusing agreements made behind closed doors between political leaders. “I do not ask them to support me if they do not believe in me and my project, but at least to agree not to harm until the election,” he explained. David Lisnard thus proposes a rule of reciprocity: the loser would not be required to publicly support the winner but should commit not to obstruct their campaign. A conception of the primary that contrasts with the usual promises of rallying between candidates of the same political family.
Édouard Philippe, “builder of Macronism” according to David Lisnard
The mayor of Cannes did not spare the former Prime Minister, who confirmed Sunday evening on TF1 his refusal to participate in a primary. Édouard Philippe believes such a competition would only add division and confusion, notably between Emmanuel Macron’s heirs and those who wish to break with his policy. An argument that David Lisnard turns back on him. Asked about the links between the president of Horizons and Macronism, he answered bluntly: “He is more than an heir; he was a builder of Macronism.” A way to recall that Édouard Philippe led Emmanuel Macron’s first government between 2017 and 2020, and that he cannot, according to Lisnard, present himself as unrelated to the president’s record.
This new exchange highlights the deep divergences among the contenders of the center and right. Gabriel Attal continues to defend a primary he considers inevitable, while Bruno Retailleau expresses reservations about its scope and Édouard Philippe refuses to participate. David Lisnard maintains his proposal for an open competition, which he presents as a way to distinguish personalities and projects before the presidential election. But he intends to keep his political independence, even in case of defeat. A stance that raises a question for supporters of a joint candidacy: can a primary truly unite if its participants do not commit to supporting the winner?
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