Édouard Philippe proposes right-centre alliance by February for 2027 presidential race
Horizons party leader Édouard Philippe called for uniting French centre and right candidates between November and February, while unveiling hardline immigration proposals during a campaign tour in Mayotte.
Coalition timeline proposal
During a campaign tour in the Indian Ocean on Saturday, 22 August 2026, former French prime minister Édouard Philippe called for the republican right and the political centre to unite behind a single candidate for the 2027 presidential election. Speaking to BFMTV, the Horizons party leader argued that figures across the central bloc, including Bruno Retailleau of Les Républicains and Gabriel Attal of Renaissance, must establish a joint nomination process between November 2026 and February 2027. Philippe warned that deciding after February would leave the bloc unprepared to counter the campaigns of Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon. While Attal advocated waiting until at least early 2027 to assess polling, Philippe contested that approach, asserting that presidential races are defined by candidate dynamics, style, and policy rather than survey results.
None of us will succeed if we think success comes from war or combat against others or from a solitary calculation.
Hardline proposals in Mayotte
Philippe made migration policy the central theme of his two-day visit to Mayotte before departing on Sunday, 23 August 2026, for a 48-hour campaign stop in La Réunion. The Horizons leader pledged to halt all legal and illegal immigration to Mayotte, proposing suspensions of asylum claims, birthright citizenship, and family reunification procedures. His plan also calls for increasing French naval patrols in surrounding waters and expanding bilateral discussions with the Comoros archipelago. The policy focus follows wider migration developments, including the 30-31 July crossing of 72,000 migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where 70,000 individuals were subsequently returned to Morocco.
- 72,000 migrants enter Ceuta before 70,000 are returned to Morocco
- Philippe proposes right-centre unity timeline on BFMTV and visits Mayotte
- Philippe travels from Mayotte to La Réunion for a 48-hour visit
Opposition clash and political reactions
The proposals in Mayotte prompted immediate friction with left-wing leaders. Jean-Luc Mélenchon rejected Philippe's platform as aberrant and ridiculous, prompting Philippe to question when the La France Insoumise leader had last visited Mayotte to witness its migration conditions. Mélenchon responded by citing his own 2005 visit to the island and criticised Philippe's record as prime minister. Meanwhile, Socialist Party First Secretary Olivier Faure stated that Philippe is chasing far-right positions ahead of the 2027 race, arguing that making migration the exclusive political focus remains an error.
I would tell Mr Édouard Philippe that I went to Mayotte before him, I was there in 2005, and he would do well to look in a mirror and ask himself if he is so proud of his record, having done nothing for Mayotte.
Positioning within the central bloc
Philippe also addressed internal dynamics within the central bloc during his broadcast. He dismissed suggestions of a presidential bid from current Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, stating that Lecornu's governmental responsibilities preclude such preparations. Addressing remarks by Gérald Darmanin proposing Xavier Bertrand as a potential prime minister, Philippe described the question as premature for August 2026, while affirming his willingness to work with Bertrand. On the ground in Mayotte, Philippe met local residents in 35-degree heat and attended a football match on a pitch rebuilt after storm Chido, where the local team won 2-1.
