COUNTERPOINT – By officially declaring himself a presidential candidate now and even considering an early election, the mayor of Le Havre is giving credence to the idea that the head of state no longer has the means to relaunch his mandate.
The timing, at first glance, is surprising. In the midst of the imbroglio over the choice of a prime minister, Édouard Philippe’s declaration of candidacy seems incongruous. While the fog persists over the conduct of the country’s affairs in the days and weeks to come and the mediocrity of the Matignon saga is driving political leaders, the head of state in particular, into despair every day, talking about the presidential election seems both a lack of time and a lack of taste. Not to mention the risk of a media damp squib if the appointment of a prime minister ends up happening in the coming hours…
But, precisely, what if the puzzling choice of the moment concealed a political message? That the former prime minister was thinking about the Élysée was anything but a secret. For four years – since his non-chosen replacement at Matignon – he has been thinking about it, he must, he is preparing for it and organizing himself accordingly. To say, in an interview with Point, “I will be…
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