As during the 2022 legislative elections, Édouard Philippe has officially set out to conquer France with a view to 2027. Since June, he has been traveling the country in a methodical way: book signings, visits to the municipalities of his political movement, visits to places of his mandate as ex-Prime Minister… “There are no cameras following me, it’s easier and I must say: much more pleasant, he confided to France Bleu Orléans. When we decided to count, to weigh in the public debate, it is better to travel through France rather than to browse the television sets.”, relays Le Parisien. Le Havrais sets up a strategic tour of France “discreetly but surely”.
After going to Montargis in early June, to Clermont-Ferrand for a decoration at the end of June, then to Vannes, the mayor of Le Havre will pass through Finistère on July 5. During his field visits, even if he is very clear about his desire to run for president. However, he remains very allusive when asked about the subject and takes his time to answer. “I do a job of in-depth reflection”, consisting of “taking the pulse of the country, the real country”, explained Le Havrais. And it is his strength according to his political supporters. The discreet ex-minister distills his word and always waits for the ideal moment to express himself. Each of his speeches are indeed perfectly calibrated. As evidenced recently in his last interview for L’Express, in which he suggests renegotiating the Franco-Algerian agreement of 1968.
When he is not crisscrossing France, the former Prime Minister continues to officiate in Le Havre. He regularly invites members of the government there. In particular the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, with whom he has very good relations. But as Le Parisien relays, with the Head of State, it’s a different story. “Philippe and Macron have been talking to each other for some time.”. According to a relative, their relationship would remain very complicated, between susceptibility for one and paranoia for the other. Because the two men tend to step on each other in the political space. At the beginning of June, on the edge of the Indre, the mayor of Le Havre, moreover, made the organization of the central block a major issue, according to La Nouvelle République.
Outside and contrary to his strategy of a tour of France far from the cameras, Edouard Philippe is preparing a new book in parallel. The essay which will be released next September will be devoted to education according to L’Opinion. This will allow him at the same time to tour the media. His goal with his book: to break his image as a former Juppeist and establish himself as an innovative presidential personality on sensitive subjects such as national education. All based on the foundations of a new party: Horizons, an ally but independent of the presidential party.
For the moment Édouard Philippe, appreciated for his discretion and his silence, is popular with the French in the polls. But, like many other political figures before him, the former ex-prime minister is not immune to a drop in his popularity rating. Support that will be measurable from September 14 and 15, when Horizons will hold its parliamentary days in Angers.
