France Fearful opponent Le Pen: battle to succeed Macron begins
There is just under a year and a half between France and the next presidential election. However, the expected fateful election is already hanging over a number of political activities, has caused a coalition to collapse and is making the already arduous work of the minority government extremely difficult. Liberal head of state Emmanuel Macron will not be able to run again after two terms in office and the question is being asked far beyond his centrist camp as to who can emerge victorious after him in an expected run-off election against the right-wing nationalist Marine Le Pen.
28.12.2025, 09:38
SDA
There are plenty of ambitions for the highest office in France. Some potential candidates have been waiting in the wings for years, gathering supporters around them and trying to position themselves in the best possible way before the vote. An overview:
Édouard Philippe
Philippe was the first prime minister under the then new head of state Macron in 2017. The 55-year-old is considered popular and has secured important local support. He positions himself as a level-headed centrist and could be a promising candidate for stability. With his Horizons party, Philippe was a fairly loyal follower of Macron for a long time. However, he is now causing problems for the government. While the centrist camp consisting of the presidential party Renaissance and the Horizons and MoDem parties used to vote unanimously, Philippe has recently refused to vote in crucial budget debates.
Gabriel Attal
The 36-year-old was also Prime Minister and is now the parliamentary group and party leader of Renaissance. He has high popularity ratings and would probably be most in favor of a continuation of Macron's policies. Even as prime minister, Attal was seen as a younger version of the president and was even described by him as a kind of younger brother. However, the relationship between the two high-flyers is now considered strained. Attal is no longer afraid to criticize the government's plans from his own camp. Whether France wants a Macron 2.0 or Attal will be able to clearly distance himself is questionable.
Gérald Darmanin
Like Macron, the current Minister of Justice comes from northern France. He is roughly on a par with Attal and Philippe in the popularity rankings. According to a survey by Ifop, 26% want him to run in the presidential election, slightly less than Attal (29%) and Philippe (37%). The long-serving interior minister stands for a firm hand in the fight against crime and clear messages. The 43-year-old also likes to give them a populist veneer.
Bruno Retailleau
In the past year, the staunchly conservative leader of the Républicains has literally shot past regional heavyweights and his internal party rival Laurent Wauquiez, who had long seemed to be the presidential candidate. In recent months, however, the 65-year-old has lost much of his popularity. In his eagerness to distance himself from the Macron camp, the former interior minister has threatened to resign, triggering the resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and ultimately the end of his Républicains' government cooperation with the centrist camp.
One for all and all for one?
In view of the numerous quasi-candidacies that could get in each other's way in the fight against the right, Cannes' conservative mayor David Lisnard came up with an unusual idea. Instead of putting forward one candidate per party, Lisnard suggested nominating only one person for the center-right parties - and thus having a better chance of making it to the run-off.
The individual parties and presidential hopefuls must rightly ask themselves whether egos and sometimes different political views should take a back seat to the goal of preventing Le Pen. The mood so far, however, is not very enthusiastic.
A joint candidacy or even the renunciation of an opposing candidacy seems difficult to imagine in France's political landscape, which thrives on confrontation and self-confident candidates. Especially as the conservatives want a clear break with Macron, which his party is unlikely to approve of. If, contrary to expectations, it should come to the point where several major parties jointly send a candidate into the race, this would be a clear declaration of war against the right.
"Queen Marine" or protégé Bardella?
However, it is not yet clear whether Le Pen, who is so feared on the political left and among liberals and conservatives, will even run in the presidential election. In spring, a court revoked her right to stand for election for five years for embezzling EU funds - with immediate effect. In the next few months, an appeals court will decide whether the ruling will be upheld and Le Pen will be barred from running or whether the right-wing nationalist can make a fourth attempt at the Élysée Palace.
It has long been clear that if Le Pen is not allowed to run, her political offspring Jordan Bardella will be sent into the ring by the right-wing nationalists. The young political star has worked his way into the hearts of the core electorate in recent years and has even overtaken his role model "Queen Marine" in the polls. Both have a clear lead over all other presidential hopefuls. The man from the banlieue was once seen as Le Pen's warhorse with tough slogans, while she pushed ahead with the party's course of demonization. In the meantime, the 30-year-old has become more dignified.
Only one question remains: how will the left-wing camp position itself? The Greens and Socialists at least want to run as a joint candidate. As things stand, however, neither the old leftists around Jean-Luc Mélenchon nor the most promising candidate on the left, social democrat Raphaël Glucksmann, are on board. It remains to be seen whether either of them will have a chance of reaching the run-off.
