Édouard Philippe launches 2027 presidential campaign with Paris rally as polls show lead

A campaign launch

Édouard Philippe, the former prime minister and Horizons party candidate, will hold his first major campaign rally in Paris on Sunday, 5 July. The event is widely seen as the true start of his bid for the 2027 French presidency, despite having declared his candidacy in late 2024. Around 5,000 supporters are expected to attend, according to Mediapart. The meeting is designed to demonstrate his ability to mobilize activists and build momentum.

Polling lead

Philippe enters the rally with a polling advantage over his centrist and right-wing rivals. He is currently the favorite after the far-right Rassemblement National, according to Le Figaro. His main competitors from the central bloc, Gabriel Attal, and from the right, Bruno Retailleau, trail him in surveys. The rally is intended to consolidate that lead and turn it into sustained campaign momentum.

Endorsements from the right

The rally caps a week in which Philippe secured a series of endorsements from centrist and Les Républicains (LR) figures. Laurent Wauquiez, a prominent LR leader, offered what Le Monde described as kind words of support. These moves have fueled speculation that Philippe is attempting to build a broad coalition reminiscent of the old UMP, a "UMP 2.0" as Le Monde put it. The endorsements strengthen his position as a unifying figure on the centre-right.

The road ahead

The Paris meeting is a test of Philippe's organizational strength and his capacity to sustain a long campaign. With the election still months away, he must maintain his polling lead and fend off challenges from Attal and Retailleau. The rally's success or failure will set the tone for the coming months.