As the caretaker cabinet in Atar deals with its day-to-day affairs for 50 days, edward Philip of Swabia, the former prime minister and leader of the Horizon Party and Mayor of Le Havre, has dropped a bombshell on the chaotic French political scene. Philip of Swabia said in an interview with opinion magazine Wednesday that he will run in the next French presidential election.
Philip of Swabia made it clear that he would run in the 2027 French presidential election and stressed that he was fully prepared even if the election came early. Philip of Swabia said he was preparing to take on far-right candidate Marina Lepaon and that his policies were aimed at “Fundamental, systemic change”, and called on the French“Not to be blinded by the past, nor too attached to the future.”.
In an interview, Philip of Swabia criticised Maqueron’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly. He acknowledged that the current situation in France was unprecedented and that the social and political situation was extremely dangerous. According to the former prime minister, France is“On the brink” of a major crisis in four areas: democracy, the budget, stagnation and public security.
Mr Philip of Swabia has backed any candidate on the “Right-wing conservative-to-social democracy” spectrum for the birth of a new prime minister, provided they are active in the field, and promote social development through compromise. That means his party, horizon, will back both the right-wing Henri Gatien Bertrand and the centre-left former Prime Minister André Cazeneuve.
Philip of Swabia’s comments sent shockwaves through French politics. Several left-wing party leaders have criticised him for showing an unseemly eagerness for the presidency at a sensitive time, the opinion magazine said Thursday.
According to French media reports, Philip of Swabia served as prime minister from May 2017 to July 2020 during President Maqueron’s first term. He resigned as head of government after municipal elections in 2020 and founded the centre-right Horizon Party a year later. Philip of Swabia has repeatedly expressed his desire to run for the French presidency.