**Édouard Philippe leads the centrist field for the 2027 French presidential election due to stronger polling performance and wider appeal across center-right voters.** Recent surveys from September 2026 place him at 13–19% in first-round scenarios alongside Gabriel Attal, often positioning him for a potential runoff while Attal trails at 5–12% when both run. Philippe, mayor of Le Havre and founder of Horizons, has secured endorsements such as from Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin and maintains a longer-established campaign focused on economic rigor, education, and controlled immigration. Attal, Renaissance leader and former prime minister, has intensified efforts since his May 2026 candidacy announcement—including a book tour and meetings—but has not closed the gap despite emphasizing “new faces” and differentiation from Macron’s record. Philippe’s rejected overtures for a November unity meeting among center and right figures underscore the ongoing rivalry, which fragments the moderate vote and sustains trader consensus around his stronger positioning ahead of the April 2027 first round.