Edouard Philippe backed by Gerald Darmanin for 2027

French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has endorsed centre-right candidate Edouard Philippe for the 2027 presidential election and said he will not run himself.

Darmanin told La Voix du Nord that “the public interest is not served by multiplying the number of candidacies”. He said France was in an “extremely difficult” social situation and that he had decided “not to add to the division”.

“I will not run in the presidential election and will instead support Edouard Philippe — and I hope everyone else does the same,” Darmanin said.

Philippe was President Emmanuel Macron's first prime minister from 2017 to 2020 and is now mayor of Le Havre. Macron cannot stand again after serving the maximum two terms.

The endorsement comes as figures from the left, centre and right position themselves for the vote. Another centrist former prime minister, Gabriel Attal, is also planning to stand, while far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen is expected to make a fourth attempt at the presidency.

Darmanin said he believed the centrist camp was “currently in third place” behind Le Pen and hard-left figurehead Jean-Luc Melenchon, meaning it would not reach the run-off vote.

Le Monde reported over the weekend that the Elysee under Macron was concerned that neither Philippe nor Attal might be able to defeat Le Pen and was considering whether current Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu could be a more viable candidate.