Former French PMs Philippe and Attal favoured centrist candidates for next presidential election -poll
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French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe attend a political rally named \"Besoin d'Europe\" to launch the campaign of the French presidential majority for the European elections in Lille, France, March 9, 2024. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
PARIS, Jan 28 - Former French Prime Ministers Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal are the favoured candidates to lead the centrist challenge in next year's presidential election, said an Elabe/BFM TV poll on Wednesday.
The centrist French political bloc close to President Emmanuel Macron lost its grip in the lower house of parliament after Macron called a snap parliamentary election in 2024, and it has faced unyielding pressure from both the far-right National Rally (RN) and far-left France Unbowed (LFI) parties.
Philippe - Macron's first prime minister - has consistently portrayed himself as a 2027 presidential candidate.
He has also increasingly criticised Macron in recent years, as Macron's attempts to get a budget through parliament has faced consistent challenges from opposition parties.
The Elabe/BFM TV poll added that former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau was seen as the favoured candidate from the traditional, conservative right-wing camp for the 2027 election. REUTERS
