Gabriel Attal Enters 2027 French Presidential Race

Former French prime minister Gabriel Attal has formally declared that he will run in the French presidential election scheduled for 2027, moving early into the contest to succeed President Emmanuel Macron.

Attal, who is 37, made the announcement at a political gathering in the village of Mour de Barres in southern France. “I have decided to run for the presidency of the republic, and I can no longer bear the policy of managing decline in France,” he said, according to Politico.

Attal’s Entry Into The Race

His candidacy makes him the second prominent centrist figure to enter the presidential race, after former prime minister Édouard Philippe. France is preparing for an election battle that is expected to bring sharp competition from the far-right National Rally.

Attal is one of the most prominent rising political figures in France in recent years, and in 2024 he entered the record books when he became the youngest prime minister in the country’s history at the age of 34. He rose quickly inside Macron’s camp and held several government posts, including government spokesman, budget minister and education minister, before being appointed prime minister during Macron’s second term.

His Break With Macron

The thirtysomething politician became known for his pro-European liberal rhetoric, along with relatively hardline positions on security and immigration. His strong media presence also led some to call him “little Macron,” because of the similarity between his rapid political rise and that of the current French president.

Although he led the ruling Renaissance party, his relationship with Macron has shown clear tension in recent years, especially after the French president dissolved parliament in 2024. That move led to an internal political crisis and weakened the centrist camp.

Politico said Attal later publicly criticised Macron’s decisions and accused him of wanting to cling to power. Attal is now trying to present himself as a fresh face capable of renewing the French centrist current, while gradually moving away from an elite image, and he chose to launch his campaign from the French countryside in a message aimed at voters outside the capital.

“The day we remain trapped inside ministerial offices in Paris is the day politics stops understanding people,” he said when announcing his candidacy.

The Far-Right Challenge

Attal’s announcement comes as the far-right National Rally prepares for what it sees as its best chance to reach power, whether through Marine Le Pen or party leader Jordan Bardella. Former prime minister Édouard Philippe is also in the race, as is radical left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Recent opinion polls indicate that Philippe still has the best chances of winning inside the centrist camp, while the far right continues to lead voting intentions with less than a year to go before the election.