Emmanuel Macron is looking for a way out of the division within his camp less than six months before the presidential election. According to information from Le Monde, published Wednesday, November 4, the head of state is now advocating to his interlocutors the idea of a broad coalition ranging from Raphaël Glucksmann to David Lisnard, including the main centrist figures. His goal: to bring forward a single candidacy likely to avoid a runoff between Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon. This strategy reflects the growing concerns at the Élysée Palace in light of recent polls, in which candidates from the former presidential majority struggle to assert themselves.
The President of the Republic considers that French political life remains structured around three major blocs and that no centrist candidate can qualify without prior unification. According to an interlocutor of Emmanuel Macron cited Thursday by AFP, the head of state believes that the convergences on Europe, the rule of law, market economy, and rejection of extremes are more important than the differences between Raphaël Glucksmann and David Lisnard. The ambition would not be limited to the presidential election: such a coalition would also allow, in case of victory, to prepare a majority in the National Assembly. However, programmatic differences between the concerned personalities, notably on immigration, taxation, and pensions, make this prospect particularly difficult to realize.
A coalition without a primary, contrary to the proposals of Attal, Retailleau, and Lisnard
Unlike Gabriel Attal, Bruno Retailleau, and David Lisnard, Emmanuel Macron does not favor organizing a primary to decide among contenders. The head of state would first like to see the different parties work on a common project before seeking an agreement on the personality responsible for defending it. This method already clashes with the individual strategies of the candidates. Édouard Philippe refuses to participate in a primary, while David Lisnard, although favorable to an open consultation of the right and center, recently stated that he would govern “neither with the Macronists nor with the RN.” As for Raphaël Glucksmann, he intends to preserve the autonomy of his social-democratic candidacy. At this stage, no agreement has been reached among the political leaders the president wishes to bring together.
This reflection comes as Emmanuel Macron prepares for the end of his second five-year term without being able to seek a new mandate. Still according to Le Monde, the head of state reportedly told his former ministers that they would not have to defend his record during the campaign, which he intends to personally assume responsibility for. This is a way to give them more freedom to build their own projects while encouraging them to reach an agreement. The president is also considering the possibility of publicly intervening in the presidential debate, without having made a final decision.
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