By Michel Rose
PARIS, May 21 (Reuters) - Former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Friday formally launched his bid for the presidency, joining a crowded cast of centrist candidates who risk being overtaken by far-right and far-left rivals in next year's election.
The race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron — who cannot run again — is shaping up as a fragmented contest, with polls placing the far-right National Rally (RN) in a leading position, and a crowded field raising the risk of a run-off dominated by political extremes.
Attal, 37, has been one of the most recognizable figures of Macron's two terms, but his perceived similarity to the unpopular president may limit his support, critics say. He also faces a battle to convince other centrist candidates that he is the best choice to win against the far right and hard left.
Speaking on the market square of a small village in central France after an exchange with locals, Attal struck an optimistic tone, promising to make France "the leading European power".
"I've had enough of French politics being about 50 shades of managing decline," he told reporters in Mur-de-Barrez. "So because I love France with a passion and love the French passionately, I'm a candidate for the presidency."
COMPETITION WITH PHILIPPE
Attal rose rapidly through the ranks and gained national prominence as government spokesman during the COVID-19 pandemic before becoming France's youngest ever prime minister.
His premiership lasted just seven months. It ended abruptly after Macron called a snap parliamentary election — a decision Attal opposed — straining his relationship with the president.
Since then, Attal has taken over the leadership of Macron's Renaissance party, with its relatively strong finances and organisational base giving him a springboard for a national campaign.
He now faces a defining duel within the centrist camp against another former premier, Edouard Philippe, who has been positioning himself for months as the bloc's standard-bearer.
Polls this year show Attal getting as much as 14% in the first round, while Philippe is seen garnering up to 25%. The surveys suggest Philippe, the mayor of Le Havre, is currently the best-placed candidate to take on the RN.
The broader risk for moderates is fragmentation. A split centre could open a path for candidates on the far right and far left to make it through to the second round run-off of next year's presidential vote.
Many in France's political mainstream fear a scenario in which the run-off pits the far right, led by either Jordan Bardella or Marine Le Pen, against hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Attal said earlier this month he had spoken with Philippe about avoiding such an outcome, and the two men have set up a mechanism to assess by early 2027 which of them is best placed to unite centrist voters, and whether the other should step aside.
CONTRAST IN STYLE
Beyond strategy, the contrast in style is stark.
Philippe has adopted a restrained, almost austere posture since declaring his candidacy, keeping his personal life largely out of the spotlight. Attal, by contrast, has embraced a more personal and high-visibility approach.
He has criss-crossed the country promoting a memoir that delves into his upbringing, the death of his father, his experience of being bullied for being gay, and his relationship with European Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné, his partner.
Despite time in the Socialist party early in his career, Attal has built his political brand backing tougher positions on law and order and immigration.
As education minister, he drew national attention by banning abayas -- loose-fitting, full-length robes worn by some Muslim women -- in schools in the name of secularism.
(Reporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
