To better compete with the U.S. and China, Attal proposed implementing a two-speed EU so like-minded partners can more quickly merge their economies, regulatory frameworks and labor and capital via a new dedicated treaty to be approved by citizens via referendum. Attal also advocated for joint European debt, removing intra-bloc trade barriers and encouraging bloc-wide mergers, especially in telecoms and financial services.
Attal’s advisers told reporters that the former prime minister is trying to stake out a position as one of the most pro-European options in a crowded field of candidates. The 37-year-old centrist has struggled to break through, and polls have repeatedly shown him lagging behind his main ideological rival, Edouard Philippe, and euroskeptic front-runner Marine Le Pen.
But since launching his campaign in May, Philippe has stayed relatively quiet on matters relating to Brussels — which gives Attal a way to better distinguish his campaign from that of Philippe.
It’s a risky strategy, though. Voters in France are less sanguine about the bloc’s future than other Europeans, with many still frustrated after the Commission last year pushed through a massive trade deal with Latin America that was widely viewed domestically as a threat to the French agriculture industry. The EU is also seen as a source of environmental rules that French farmers consider too strict while business see the bloc as a source of red tape.
Attal in his speech paid tribute to Macron’s European legacy while also criticizing European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, accusing her of overlooking the bloc’s problems in her Wednesday State of the Union speech — which he called “too little, too late.” He also hit out against the trade deal she agreed to with U.S. President Donald Trump last year.
Should Attal win, it will be up to von der Leyen to decide the professional fate of his romantic partner, Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné, given the potential conflict of interest. Séjourné swore an oath upon taking office to prioritize EU interests over national matters, and his term runs beyond the French presidential election in April 2027.