Appointment was made this Sunday morning in the forest of Fontainebleau, in Seine-et-Marne, for the political re-entry of Édouard Philippe, a few months before the presidential election.
It is finally on the square of the Municipal Theater of the city that he appeared, surrounded by mayors "of the right and the center".
The former Prime Minister, who has not ceased in recent months to maintain a form of ambiguity about his ambitions, has remained very discreet, making no statement to the press.
“Entre maires” is the name of the event in which around forty mayors from all over France participated, including that of Le Havre.
A rally to "weigh" politically in the coming months with the approach of the presidential election of 2022. This is the objective of the group of elected officials, who do not want the "presidential campaign to miss the stakes of territories and municipal organization ”, explains the mayor of Angers, Christophe Béchu.
Read also Presidential 2022: what is Edouard Philippe playing?
The meeting brought together two associations of elected officials: “La France audacieuse” by the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, and “La République des maires” by Christophe Béchu.
The whole forming a political space rather on the right, close to Emmanuel Macron and of which Édouard Philippe could become a figurehead.
Objective, "to weigh politically" for 2022
First step this Sunday in a process that will consolidate.
"We must continue to see each other, no doubt in an even more intense way and that we think about a form of structuring which allows us to weigh in a political way", considers Christophe Béchu.
But not all speak with one voice.
“We are independent from any partisan structure,” says Christian Estrosi.
We do not intend to be a springboard for any candidate at home.
"When others assume their proximity to the power in place, with a view to 2022." The one who is most able to defend the values that we represent, in my eyes, is Emmanuel Macron ", even assures staff Hubert Falco, the mayor of Toulon.
With a little more than seven months of the presidential election, nothing is yet final. “Look at everything that happened in the six months leading up to the 2017 presidential election,” slips one of the mayors. It is therefore for the former Prime Minister to remain present, just in case. Next step at the beginning of October in Le Havre where, this time we promise, there will be a gathering "around Édouard Philippe". Which was not really the tone given to this meeting in Fontainebleau.