Wauquiez opens door to Philippe, tells Retailleau to 'know how to withdraw' from 2027 race
Laurent Wauquiez, head of Les Républicains' parliamentary group, urged rival Bruno Retailleau to step aside if his presidential bid fails to gain traction, while praising Horizons candidate Edouard Philippe as capable of 'embodying order and seriousness.'
Wauquiez pivots towards Philippe
In an interview with Le Figaro on 1 July, Wauquiez described Edouard Philippe, the former prime minister and Horizons candidate, as the figure who can best represent the right and centre. He argued that Philippe's record makes him uniquely positioned to carry a project of national recovery.
By his history, by the responsibilities that have been his, I believe that Edouard Philippe can embody the order and seriousness needed to put France back on its feet.
Wauquiez insisted that Philippe must soon reveal a concrete programme, saying that simply opposing the extremes will not win an election.
Implicit ultimatum for Retailleau
Without naming Bruno Retailleau directly, Wauquiez stressed that a candidate stuck below 10% in the polls should be ready to withdraw early. He noted that the official LR contender, despite securing nearly 75% of party-member support this spring, has failed to break double digits in surveys.
You have to know, as soon as possible, how to withdraw if necessary. From the autumn, it will be urgent to adopt a logic of rallying. For now, I see only an ultra-purist logic.
Wauquiez, who lost the party presidency to Retailleau in an internal vote last year, avoided an explicit endorsement of the LR chief's departure, but the target was unmistakable.
Fear of a LFI-RN runoff
Behind the manoeuvre lies a stark electoral calculation. Wauquiez warned that if the three main right-wing and centrist candidates (Philippe, Gabriel Attal and Retailleau) all remain in the race, they will split the vote and help Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France Insoumise reach the second round.
If everyone keeps their candidacy, our only contribution will have been to eliminate a right-wing candidate and allow Jean-Luc Mélenchon to qualify for the second round. Never in my life will I take part in that.
He called for an open primary to designate a single candidate of the right and centre, with urgency increasing as autumn approaches.
Timing and context
The remarks land four days before Philippe's major campaign rally, adding momentum to the Horizons candidate. Wauquiez had already appeared alongside Philippe at a young farmers' congress in Bourg-en-Bresse last month, signalling a thaw after years of strained relations. While Wauquiez has not formally endorsed Philippe, his comments mark the clearest fracture yet inside Les Républicains over who should carry the party's colours in 2027.
