Shocking Rise of Christine Lagarde Threatens Édouard Philippe's Hopes in French Election

A poll published by Le Figaro yesterday (Wednesday) revealed that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde could secure 14% of the vote in the first round of the French presidential election scheduled for 2027, if she decides to run, slightly ahead of former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe.

According to the survey conducted by "Cluster 17" for Politico, Lagarde would receive 14% of the vote if she replaced Philippe as the candidate for the "Horizons" party, compared to 13.5% for Philippe against the same competitors.

Jean-Yves Dormagen, head of "Cluster 17," stated that Lagarde enjoys good acceptance among centrist voters, considering that the results confirm the flexibility of the political center spectrum.

In the scenario where Lagarde runs, France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon exceeds the 20% threshold for the first time, recording 20.5%, but remains significantly behind Marine Le Pen, who leads the predictions with 30.5%.

Lagarde had practically denied any intention to run for office, stating in an interview with La Croix at the end of last September that running for the presidency is not a good idea at all, citing the vitality, energy, and strength required for such a commitment, and adding that she is 70 years old.

If Édouard Philippe continues as the centrist candidate, the poll showed his approval rating dropping to 13.5%, compared to 16% at the end of last October.

Similarly, the prospects of Bruno Retailleau, belonging to the Republicans and supporting primary elections to select right-wing and centrist candidates, fell by two percentage points to 5%.

In contrast, David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes, received 10% of the vote, regardless of the proposed scenario, whether Lagarde, Philippe, or Gabriel Attal is the centrist candidate.