In Marseille, Edouard Philippe looks into justice and keeps his potential allies in check

After Bordeaux and Lille, the declared presidential candidate invited his supporters to Parc Chanot, behind the Vélodrome stadium, for a third "interregional meeting." The agenda included sovereign issues. But the outcome of Sunday's Congress of the Republicans (LR) had not escaped anyone's notice, and the Horizons meeting was brought forward by a day.

While LR must choose a president between Bruno Retailleau and Laurent Wauquiez, Edouard Philippe was amused to have become a campaign theme in his former party: for Mr. Wauquiez, there is no question of "rallying Macronie" behind the former Prime Minister, when Mr. Retailleau - who denies it - would be more inclined to do so.

The head of Horizons, leading the polls in the "common core" of the right and the center, also had a word for Gérald Darmanin and Gabriel Attal. "I hear those who wonder if my program will be a true right-wing program. If it will be popular enough. I hear others who are nostalgic for a somewhat idealized 'at the same time,'" he said.

"I hear talk of 'tickets' written in advance (...) All this leaves me quite indifferent. I will not be a prisoner of the party game," warned Mr. Philippe.

"I want to be President of the Republic to restore the power of the State, to bring justice back into our society, to make our country stronger and more prosperous, and to give all our fellow citizens a taste for freedom. Is that right-wing enough? Popular enough? But I'm not here to defend the purity of the French right! I'm here to defend France, French women and men!" declared Mr. Philippe to the applause of some 1,700 supporters.

Mr. Wauquiez has taken a beating. "The French are not fooled by those who indulge in small-time Trumpism by dreaming of resurrecting the Count of Monte Cristo's penal colony in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon," quipped Edouard Philippe, while the leader of the LR deputies proposed sending dangerous foreigners subject to an obligation to leave the territory (OQTF) there.

Short sentences and minimum sentences

To all these potential allies who are questioning his program, Mr. Philippe "turns the question around": "Are you ready to build with us the great political force, the Republican and Democratic bloc, which will respect the identities of each but will come together on the essentials?"

Speaking to Le Parisien on Friday, Mr. Philippe said he intended to "unite." "I haven't met anyone on the ground telling me that we should divide ourselves."

Illustration with the speakers, including the president (Renaissance) of the South region Renaud Muselier and the president of the Aix-Marseille Metropolis Martine Vassal (ex-LR), to whom Mr. Philippe gave encouragement for the Marseille town hall.

"The instructions for organizing victory in the municipal elections will provide the instructions for the presidential election," Mr. Muselier declared. "Without a republican rally, no victory will be possible," added the mayor of Nice and vice-president of Horizons, Christian Estrosi.

Second message from Marseille: While LR is looking for a leader, Edouard Philippe is refining his platform. On Saturday, the mayor of Le Havre declined proposals to reform the justice system, which, "in addition to being slow, has become hypocritical."

Because "as we are unable to build enough prison places (...) and as we know that being detained in undignified conditions fuels recidivism, judges are handing down increasingly severe sentences, but these are being carried out less and less frequently," he explained.

Mr. Philippe advocates "a strategy of immediately locking up offenders, including for very short sentences, from the first offense, in short-term institutions," as his MPs had adopted in early April. But also, he continued, "minimum sentences for the most serious offenses."

The former Prime Minister also questions the abolition of the role of sentencing judge. He also intends to give mayors "increased resources, including the right to impose fines and propose reparations."