Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleFormer French prime minister Édouard Philippe has ruled out competing in a primary to choose a single centre-right candidate for the presidential election, according to France 24.
Philippe, who is the candidate of the centre-right Horizons party, spoke on Sunday on the evening news programme of TF1 television. He rejected a proposal made last week by his rival Gabriel Attal, who is also a former prime minister under President Emmanuel Macron.
Philippe: primary would not happen
Philippe served as prime minister under Macron from 2017 to 2020. France 24 reports that he is performing better in opinion polls than his centre-right rivals.
Asked about the idea of a primary, he told TF1: “I don’t think this primary will take place.” He argued that such a vote would only create division and confusion on the centre-right.
Instead, Philippe said the various candidates should live up to their responsibilities and decide on their approach by February. France 24 says this appeared to suggest that candidates who are performing poorly should then step aside to improve the chances of stronger centre-right contenders.
Attal’s proposal
Attal, another centre-right rival and also a former prime minister under Macron, put forward the primary idea last week. His aim was to organize a vote that would select a single centre-right candidate. Philippe’s answer on Sunday amounts to a public rejection of that plan.
The wider race
The centre-right is trying to present a single candidate against challengers from the far right and far left. According to France 24, far-right leader Marine Le Pen of the National Rally currently tops the polls. Hard-left veteran Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the France Unbowed party is also performing strongly.
The first round of the presidential election is scheduled for April 18. A second-round run-off between the two strongest candidates is set for May 2.
The disagreement between Philippe and Attal shows how the centre-right is split over how to choose its standard-bearer. Philippe has made clear that he does not want that choice decided by a primary. He wants the question resolved by the candidates themselves within a few months.
Source: France 24
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
