While his presidential ambitions are an open secret, Philippe’s announcement was unexpected, coming as Macron intensifies efforts to appoint a new prime minister and holds marathon talks with politicians of various hues that have yet to produce a compromise. French ministers have been serving as caretakers since July, when they resigned following a snap election that failed to deliver an absolute majority in the French National Assembly.
Macron has vowed to stay in his post until the next presidential election in 2027, as a guarantor of the French institutions.
But it’s clear that Philippe, who ran the French government from 2017 to 2020, thinks his former boss won’t survive much longer and is prepared to make it known. He has already tasked his party Horizons to “be ready for spring” in 2025, according to top party leadership contacted by Playbook Paris.
“He considers that everything can move,” someone close to Philippe said.
Even if a new government is appointed in the coming days, it will still face the immediate and uphill battle of getting a difficult budget through a divided and hostile parliament, which could trigger another domestic crisis. France cannot submit a slimmed down budget for 2025 without a new government, and the new budget needs to be submitted to parliament before Oct. 1 and voted before Jan. 1.
Best frenemy
Philippe and Macron’s relationship had previously been defined by rivalry and mutual respect. The former prime minister, who is one of France’s most popular politicians, had vowed a “loyal but free” support for Macron, with his party Horizons backing the French president in parliament.
