Recent polls have shown Philippe in the strongest position to defeat whoever runs from the far-right National Rally, which is currently leading in polls but must wait to choose a candidate until an appeals court rules on Marine Le Pen\u2019s embezzlement conviction. Should the court bar Le Pen from running when it rules on July 7, National Rally President Jordan Bardella would run instead.<\/p>\n
However, a lot can change between now and when voters head to the polls in less than a year. And Attal made it clear that he believes he can win with a campaign focused on \u201coptimism\u201d that believes France\u2019s best days lie ahead. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt will take hard work, it will require making choices, it will require making decisions, and it will require the strength to take action,\u00a0but with that strength, everything is possible,\u201d Attal said. <\/p>\n
Attal\u2019s decision to launch his campaign in the French countryside reflects his desire to distance himself from the Parisian elite and the French capital where he\u00a0grew up. In recent weeks, Attal, who was also budget and education minister under Macron,\u00a0has been touring\u00a0the French countryside\u00a0on a book tour<\/a> and visiting European capitals such as Athens, Brussels,\u00a0Kyiv and\u00a0The\u00a0Hague.<\/p>\n With his announcement Friday, Attal becomes France\u2019s first high-profile openly gay presidential candidate. He acknowledged the historical weight of his bid for the Elys\u00e9e in his speech by praising France as a republic that \u201callows each and every one of us to be treated as equals, regardless of our origins, regardless of our beliefs, regardless of the color of our skin, regardless of whom we love.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite leading Macron\u2019s party, Attal and the president are not on good terms. The two fell out after Macron\u2019s surprise decision to dissolve parliament in 2024. Attal, who was prime minister at the time, was not consulted and was eventually forced to leave as head of government.<\/p>\n