Former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has called for the creation of a new political party or coalition to field unified candidates in the legislative elections following the next presidential vote. Speaking at a political gathering in Tourcoing on Sunday, 30 August, the Mayor of Le Havre said the initiative aims to secure a governing majority in the National Assembly.
Philippe rejected suggestions that the 2027 presidential campaign was already decided or that far-right leader Marine Le Pen was certain to win. Looking beyond the presidential contest, he argued that mainstream parties must prepare immediately for the parliamentary elections that will follow.
Single candidates across constituencies
Addressing attendees at an event hosted by Gérald Darmanin in the northern department of Nord, Philippe explained that his proposal involves standing a single candidate in every parliamentary constituency. These candidates would campaign under a common banner and commit to a shared majority contract to ensure effective government.
He emphasized that the initiative was not an attempt to revive the UMP, the former mainstream right-wing party. Instead, he described it as a new structure to establish a governing contract that allows all forces willing to unite in service of the nation to govern together.
Broad alliance of centre and right
The president of the Horizons party, who served as Prime Minister under President Emmanuel Macron between 2017 and 2020, reiterated his intention to carry out a political realignment. He stated that the movement must bring together figures from both the right and the centre of the political spectrum.
Philippe founded Horizons in 2021 as a centre-right party aligned with Macron's presidential majority. Prior to leading the national government, he served for years as mayor of Le Havre, a major port city in Normandy, a post he resumed after leaving national office.
According to Philippe, the planned coalition must unite everyone who shares core democratic values. He listed these principles as respect for the rule of law, attachment to European integration, support for a market economy, commitment to meritocratic public education, clear awareness of climate urgency, preservation of human dignity, and the defense of French security and national interests.
Opposition to political extremes
Philippe said a broad coalition was essential to prevent France from falling under the control of political extremes. He explicitly rejected both the left-wing platform of La France Insoumise and the nationalist, left-leaning identitarian politics associated with Le Pen.
In France, legislative elections determine the composition of the 577 seats in the National Assembly, the powerful lower house of parliament. Presidential elections take place every five years, with parliamentary elections traditionally held shortly afterward to secure a legislative majority for the newly elected president.
The speech took place during the annual late-summer political meeting organized by Darmanin in Tourcoing, a city near the Belgian border. Darmanin, who served alongside Philippe as Interior Minister, hosted the event as French political figures return from the summer break to launch the autumn political season.
