Gabriel Attal, the former French prime minister, has announced that he is running for president in 2027, becoming the second prominent centrist to enter a contest in which the right-wing National Rally (RN) party is widely expected to figure strongly.
The 37-year-old, who in 2024 became the youngest prime minister in French history, said he would seek the Renaissance party nomination to succeed President Emmanuel Macron, who is barred by term limits from standing again.
“I have decided to run for president,” Attal said on May 22.
He framed his decision as a break with managed national decline. “I can’t take this kind of French politics anymore, where it’s just 50 shades of managing decline,” he said.
Attal’s entry sets up a contested race inside the centrist bloc close to Macron. Édouard Philippe, the President’s first prime minister, has been positioning himself as a candidate since 2024 and has consistently topped centrist polling.
Renaissance has been moving towards Attal’s candidacy in recent weeks. Its national council formally called on him to enter the race, with 221 members – 91 per cent – voting in favour, according to French media. Attal has until October 1 to officially declare his candidacy, although any nomination remains subject to a vote of party members. He is due to hold a rally in Paris on May 30.
Marine Le Pen of the National Rally remains the most prominent right-wing contender, though she has faced legal complications over her eligibility. Bruno Retailleau, the former interior minister, is seen as the favoured candidate from the traditional conservative right, according to recent polling reported by Reuters.
Attal served as education minister before Macron appointed him to lead the government in January 2024. He resigned in July of that year after the centrist bloc lost ground in early legislative elections.
