French minister Darmanin warns of risk of Marine Le Pen victory in next election

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who has been endorsed by former President Nicolas Sarkozy as a potential future head of state, raised concerns on Friday about the possibility of far-right politician Marine Le Pen winning the next presidential election in 2027. Darmanin made these remarks in interviews with the La Voix du Nord newspaper and RTL radio ahead of a political meeting he is hosting on Sunday. It should be noted that Le Pen also lost to President Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the 2022 election, just as she did in the 2017 vote.

In an interview with La Voix du Nord, Darmanin stated, “The reality is that in five years’ time, it is quite probable that Madame Le Pen will emerge victorious.” He further added, “If we allow a significant portion of the working class and middle class to shift their support to Marine Le Pen, the professional classes will not back us in the second round. I will emphasize the importance of this aspect of society on Sunday. This factor, and not issues related to migration, could be what leads to Marine Le Pen’s election in 2027.”

Darmanin has not yet announced whether he intends to run in the 2027 election. However, Macron is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third term, which has prompted potential candidates from the center-right and conservative camp, including Darmanin himself and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, to already position themselves for the upcoming election.

(This story has been corrected to change the last election date to 2022 in paragraph 2)

Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Bertrand Boucey; Editing by Ingrid Melander