Do you remember last month, when Edouard Philippe was about to launch his Horizons party? A form of nervousness was reflected around Emmanuel Macron, some of his relatives criticizing mezzo voce the initiative taken by the former Prime Minister. Members of En Marche also complained of pressure exerted on them not to go to Le Havre, for the launch of Horizons.
A month later, the tone has changed. Because Edouard Philippe is no longer considered a danger. Three factors explain it. First, the clear and clear support he gave Emmanuel Macron for the presidential election. A history of Macronie judges that this support politically disarms the former head of government, who no longer has the means of pressure or leverage for negotiations, to discuss in particular a sharing of seats in the future Assembly.
The same is surprised that Edouard Philippe himself announced so quickly that he will not be a candidate for the legislative elections next June. “He pushes his troops to run for a deputy, but does not go himself? It’s confusing“, comments this close to the president.
Finally, in the majority, voices mock the broken promise of Horizons, to drain right-wing personalities, great mayors, elected officials. It is true that for the moment, there are no rallies. “The recomposition will take place until the summer, retorts a relative of Philippe. So there will be plenty of times to join Horizons. “
The fact remains that all this put together explains why mistrust of the former Prime Minister has dried up, “even if the president continues to be suspicious of it but because a president is inherently paranoid“, laughs a faithful.
Thus, Edouard Philippe would have become an asset again. “He is handsome, he is tall, he is strong, he is sexy, he is the favorite politician of the French … it would be wrong not to use him“, slips an important member of Parliament. Who is undoubtedly going a little quickly in work by relegating the mayor of Le Havre to the rank of trophy to brandish during a campaign.
Because behind the scenes, the latter continues to organize. Within two weeks, registrations on the Horizons site are transformed into memberships. The party will therefore have activists, hard. Its troops will also embark on a vast project: identify 577 good profiles to present everywhere in France next June. This does not mean presenting candidates against the deputies of the majority, but precisely to have leverage.
“We can discuss with him, negotiate, convince him, but not coerce him.”
A member of Edouard Philippe’s entourageto franceinfo
An elected official close to the former Prime Minister explains that “nothing is prepared before April 10.“That is, once the balance of power has been clarified between the different candidates – and the tendencies they represent.”According to the results of the first round and the poster of the second, the next majority will not have the same configuration“analyzes this elected. This is where a space for negotiation can also be freed up for Edouard Philippe.