Les Echos: Macron’s protégé Attal has decided to distance himself from him
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, appointed to the post by Emmanuel Macron, is increasingly distancing himself from the president during the election campaign, writes the newspaper Les Echos.
“In small but increasingly visible strokes, Gabriel Attal is demonstrating his autonomy and marking his differences with Emmanuel Macron in this election campaign,” the paper said.
As the publication notes, Attal presented himself as a “free” prime minister last week; later this week he delivered a programme at a press conference, calling on the French to “choose” him as the next head of government.
“Alone on the stage. As sole leader of the campaign. There is no image of Emmanuel Macron in most of the videos. No more than in the election programme. At the opening, under the banner “Together for the Republic” is a portrait of Gabriel Attal,” Les Echos describes the event that took place.
At the same time, Attal, answering questions, said that the election would be a milestone in matters of power and state institutions, which, the publication suggests, “are precisely the two points on which Emmanuel Macron has been heavily criticised internally”.
Macron appointed Attal as prime minister in January this year. Alain Policard, an expert at the French Centre for Political Studies, commenting on the appointment, told RIA Novosti that Macron had “chosen a friend” whom he had allowed to appear on the political scene.
“He is indebted to Macron and the latter probably believes that Attal will remain loyal to him until the end and could become a credible candidate in the presidential election (in 2027 – Ed.),” Policard explained.
In the June elections to the European Parliament in France, the Rassemblement Nationale party more than doubled its lead over Macron’s coalition of supporters with 31.36 per cent of the vote. Macron followed by announcing the dissolution of the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament, and holding snap parliamentary elections in two rounds on 30 June and 7 July.
Attal has become the main face of Macron’s Renaissance party’s election campaign, with his former partner and Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné leading the campaign.
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