Former French PM Philippe launches 2027 presidential bid

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00:00France's former Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, has announced he

00:03will seek the presidency in 2027.

00:05Philippe then further rolling the country's political waters after the

00:09snap Parliament elections called by his ex-boss, Emmanuel Macron,

00:12and amid Macron's ongoing search for a new Prime Minister.

00:15We're going to delve into the latest French politics.

00:17Talk to our reporter, Clovis Casale, who joins us now from the Elysee Palace.

00:22First of all, Clovis, let's talk about Edouard Philippe.

00:24Remind our viewers who he is and why his entry into this fray

00:28is so important.

00:30Edouard Philippe is the current mayor of Le Havre in Normandy,

00:35and he's especially the former Prime Minister of Emmanuel Macron

00:39from 2017 to 2020.

00:42A very strong relationship in those years between the two men.

00:46And since he left the job, there was some kind of gentleman's agreement

00:51between the two men, some kind of pact of non-aggression, if you will.

00:56But this last interview he gave to magazine Le Point

01:00is surely going to infuriate the French president, Emmanuel Macron,

01:05who keeps saying that the next presidential election is far away

01:09and nobody should try to position themselves.

01:11And that's exactly what Edouard Philippe has done by saying he will be

01:15a candidate to be France's next president,

01:18even if there are early snap elections.

01:23And in that way, he is opening the door to a possible resignation

01:28of the French president.

01:30It's not likely for the time being, but some observers are saying

01:33that if the paralysis continues, if the political deadlock doesn't end

01:38and President Macron can't find a solution for France to be governed

01:42orderly with stability at the National Assembly,

01:45what other choice would he have than to resign?

01:47And that's, of course, what Marine Le Pen and the far right

01:52is dreaming of.

01:54Edouard Philippe has said that he will be running to be president

01:58when the time comes, and also that he has already in mind

02:02a set of measures that he describes as massive to change

02:06the fate of the French people, to improve the situation,

02:09notably on the level of the budget, democratic, social, economic.

02:14Edouard Philippe already positioning himself.

02:17And it's the timing of this announcement of this interview

02:21is disastrous for President Macron, because, of course,

02:24we're still waiting to hear who will be the next prime minister.

02:27It seems that there is a bit of chaos here at the Elysee Palace,

02:31that Emmanuel Macron can't find the right solution, the right name,

02:34the right prime minister, who will be able to survive a vote

02:38of no confidence at the National Assembly, a prime minister

02:41who would get the backing of a majority of MPs.

02:45Yes, a third day in a row, isn't it, Clavis, that we've been talking

02:48about this hunt for the new prime minister?

02:50I mean, who are at this stage still the top contenders, briefly?

02:57Well, there are still the same names coming up.

02:59Bernard Cazeneuve, a former prime minister, former interior minister

03:03under François Hollande during the Paris attacks.

03:06He's a possible candidate.

03:08He's actually, if you ask me, the favorite.

03:11Then you've got also Xavier Bertrand, a right wing politician.

03:15And you've got Thierry Baudet, who's from a civil society,

03:19who's the president of the Economic, Social and Environmental Group.

03:23But again, very difficult.

03:25Yesterday, again, the Elysee Palace, French President Emmanuel Macron

03:29speaking on the phone with all kinds of people,

03:33party leaders, senior political figures to try to understand

03:37who would back who.

03:38And it's very difficult to see what outcome might happen today.

03:43Tomorrow, who knows?

03:46President Macron's entourage has been saying that they're hopeful

03:49that today there might be a solution found,

03:53a name that comes up, a possible prime minister for France.

03:57French people exasperated.

03:59A name needs to be found.

04:00Of course, you've got crucial things happening, crucial moments

04:05coming up, notably the budget.

04:07And there needs to be a vote and discuss as of October

04:11first at the National Assembly, with several key moments

04:14coming up in the in the coming days.

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