Gabriel Attal had promised to make his rally a "preview of the presidential campaign." And so, with a knowing smile, at the Cité du Cinéma in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, on Sunday, April 6, he let the crowd cheer him on with chants of "Attal president! Attal president!" Meanwhile, about 10 kilometers away, at Place Vauban in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, Marine Le Pen was rallying her supporters, condemning what she dubbed a "political witch hunt" led by judges. On March 31, she had been sentenced to a five-year ban on running for office, effective immediately, for the embezzlement of €4.1 million of European funds to the benefit of her far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party – she has since appealed the decision.
Two years ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Attal, the 36-year-old former prime minister, believes in his chances, even though his ally and rival Edouard Philippe, founder of the center-right Horizons party and also a former prime minister, has already declared his candidacy. Attal, though he has not officially declared himself a candidate, hinted at a future role, and declared that he was taking "the first step in the marathon that will lead us to the municipal elections next year, and then to the 2027 presidential election."
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