Édouard Philippe Rejects Attal’s Primary and Links Looting to Young People of Immigrant Background on TF1

Appearing on TF1’s 8 p.m. news on November 1, Édouard Philippe rejected Gabriel Attal’s proposed primary, calling it a “primary of division and confusion,” and advocated a rally of the right and center, with its terms to be worked out in February. He maintained that young French people of immigrant background were numerous among those involved in the October 17 looting, an analysis Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced as a racist slur. Philippe countered by accusing Mélenchon of defending far-left rioters, while Mélenchon accused him of “racialist clientelism.” Amid protests over the rising cost of living, Philippe said the government had little room to maneuver and urged parents to encourage high-school students to return to class.