Foreign Affairs

Top Macron Ally Quietly Waits In The Wings For French President To Be Forced Out Of Power

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France (Screen Capture/PBS NewsHour)

A top ally of French President Emmanuel Macron privately believes that the president will be forced out of power within months, leading him to launch his own presidential campaign, according to officials who spoke to Politico.

Macron has been swept up in political turmoil for weeks following his decision to hold snap elections in July, which resulted in a loss for his party and a fractured government made up of several different parties with no prime minister, the highest public office in France aside from the president. Former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, previously considered a close ally to Macron, made a break from the president on Wednesday, declaring his candidacy for president and confirming that he was ready to run earlier than 2027, the final year of Macron’s term.

That’s because Philippe secretly thinks that Macron will be forced to step down much sooner than the end of his term, the officials who are members of Philippe’s right-wing party, told Politico. Philippe wants to “be ready” for a presidential election as soon as early 2025, party leadership said.

“He considers that everything can move,” a person close to Philippe told Politico, referencing Philippe’s belief that Macron’s political career may be heading for an end.

Macron has vowed to stay in power until the end of his term in 2027, but Philippe is prepared to make it publicly known that he believes otherwise, according to Politico. Philippe and Macron previously maintained a relationship built on rivalry and respect, with Philippe having promised “loyal but free” support for Macron’s presidency.

But Philippe grew angry after Macron made the decision to hold snap elections in July, which Philippe believes “killed” the ruling government by allowing multiple parties to seize power without one party taking a clear majority to lead them, according to Politico. Macron’s decision resulted in his former prime minister resigning; no one has yet been appointed as the next prime minister, further straining political tensions.

The presidential palace was undeterred by Philippe’s announcement, instead saying it was more focused on fixing the now-broken government, according to one official who spoke to Politico.

Though his private thoughts about Macron’s downfall haven’t been made public, Philippe’s surprising decision to announce that he was ready to run for president sooner than planned is likely to permanently damage his relationship with Macron, according to Politico EU. Philippe met with Macron for nearly two hours on Monday but made no mention of his plan to announce his candidacy.