Philippe and Attal Lead Centrist Candidates for 2027 French Election

Centrist Candidates for the 2027 French Presidential Election

PARIS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Former French Prime Ministers Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal are the favoured candidates to lead the centrist challenge in next year's presidential election, said an Elabe/BFM TV poll on Wednesday.

Philippe's Position and Criticism of Macron

The centrist French political bloc close to President Emmanuel Macron lost its grip in the lower house of parliament after Macron called a snap parliamentary election in 2024, and it has faced unyielding pressure from both the far-right National Rally (RN) and far-left France Unbowed (LFI) parties.

Retailleau's Role in the Conservative Camp

Philippe - Macron's first prime minister - has consistently portrayed himself as a 2027 presidential candidate.

He has also increasingly criticised Macron in recent years, as Macron's attempts to get a budget through parliament has faced consistent challenges from opposition parties.

The Elabe/BFM TV poll added that former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau was seen as the favoured candidate from the traditional, conservative right-wing camp for the 2027 election.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)