PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron strongly suggested that he wants to continue playing a role in national politics after his term ends, potentially even running for president a third time when constitutionally permitted to do so.
“I still need your help and I’m counting on you — for the next two years … in five years, in 10 years. You’ll be here, and count on me, I’ll be here with you,” Macron said Sunday at an event marking a decade since the launch of the youth group set up to support his first presidential bid.
Macron is barred from running for a third consecutive term in the next presidential election, set for 2027. However, the term limit only applies to consecutive mandates, meaning Macron would be eligible to run in the following election, in 2032, when he will be 54 years old.
The French president has remained vague about his future plans. Asked in May about a potential 2032 run during a major primetime interview, Macron said he “hadn’t thought” about pursuing a third term. However, a report from a parliamentary investigative committee revealed that the government had commissioned a poll the day after the interview testing the public’s response to a possible Macron candidacy in 2032. Such polls are not commissioned by the presidency but the results are forwarded to the Elysée.
Macron’s approval rating currently stands close to an all-time low, according to a tracker from pollster Elabe, with just 22 percent of French voters surveyed saying they trust the president to lead the country.
The French president is also under growing pressure to prove he isn’t a lame duck. His influence over domestic politics has waned since his decision to call snap elections last summer, which resulted in his coalition losing control of parliament and ushering in a year of political gridlock in France.
With the countdown to the next presidential election gradually beginning, presidential hopefuls within Macron’s own camp are starting to position themselves. Just minutes before Macron’s speech. former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who now leads the president’s party, Renaissance, strongly hinted he would run for president in 2027.
But Macron expressed frustration over all the speculation regarding the next presidential contest. He warned against “spending the next two years talking about 2027” rather than finding ways to address France’s challenges immediately.
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