Key facts
- Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has endorsed presidential candidate Edouard Philippe.
- Darmanin stated his decision was made in the "interests of the country" and to avoid further divisions.
- Philippe served as Prime Minister of France from May 2017 to July 2020.
- Recent polls suggest far-right leader Marine Le Pen could win the election.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has declared his support for conservative presidential candidate Edouard Philippe ahead of next year's election. Darmanin, a member of the right-wing political bloc, stated in a newspaper interview that he would not be standing himself to avoid creating further divisions within the country.
"We are in an extremely difficult situation, with many difficult social issues for French people," Darmanin told regional paper La Voix du Nord. "Therefore I have decided not to create any further divisions, so I will not stand myself for the presidential election. I will back, and I hope that others do likewise, Edouard Philippe for the presidential election."