Gabriel Attal would score 28% if he were to run for mayor in Paris, according to our exclusive Ipsos-La Tribune Dimanche survey. This is lower than Rachida Dati, who would get 34% in a similar scenario. The Minister of Culture performs much better than the Prime Minister in the LR electorate: she would gather one out of two voters, compared to one out of four for him. Another indicator shows that the sarkozyst is a better candidate than the head of government two years before the election. 46% of Parisians would prefer Rachida Dati over Anne Hidalgo (25%) as mayor of the capital. They would prefer Gabriel Attal over the current PS mayor (26%) by 36%. “Gabriel Attal is the Prime Minister. He is not perceived as a natural candidate, whereas Rachida Dati is,” analyzes Mathieu Gallard, director of studies at Ipsos.
Attal – Bardella: the new Rastignacs
For months, Gabriel Attal’s name has been on the list of possible Macronist candidates for the Paris mayoralty in 2026. Elected in Hauts-de-Seine, the opposition municipal councilor from Vanves has never denied such a scenario. At the Ministry of Public Accounts and then at the Ministry of Education, he regularly met with Parisian officials to exchange views with them, asking numerous questions about the capital. The ambitious young thirty-something has always seen an advantage in being the mayor of Paris: he would become his own boss.
Has his appointment to Matignon in January changed things? Initially, yes: Gabriel Attal hardly has time to think about anything other than the issues he must face each day. Secondly, no: how long will his stay at Matignon last? Will it not be automatically shortened by the relative majority, with the fall using the 49-3 that a Prime Minister must inevitably face in these circumstances? Could he then, under these conditions, be tempted by the City Hall? Very secretive, Gabriel Attal has always believed that he should only answer a question when it arises. In his mind, this would not happen before the end of 2024. He has always thought that displaying any ambition could only displease the French. “If he’s popular, he’ll play in 2027, not 2026,” predicts a Parisian official.
