Pierre-Yves Bournazel, secretary general of Horizons and Paris city councillor, and Edouard Philippe, president of Horizons. In Paris, February 10, 2026. THOMAS SAMSON/AFP
Pierre-Yves Bournazel, the center-right Horizons candidate in the upcoming Paris mayoral election in March, has taken a gamble – one that risks alienating part of his own political camp and putting his party leader, former prime minister Edouard Philippe, in a difficult position. After weeks of refusing to form an alliance with his conservative rival from Les Républicains (LR), Rachida Dati, ahead of the first round, Bournazel went further on Wednesday, February 25: He categorically ruled out any alliance in the second round as well, when parties can merge their lists of candidates to try to obtain a majority. "I am running to win," justified Bournazel, speaking on France Inter radio.
Unsurprisingly, his statement was applauded by his centrist allies and condemned by supporters of Dati, the current culture minister. More notably, it stirred dissent within his own party. For several weeks, many Horizons officials have quietly criticized his campaign strategy, as the center-right candidate has struggled to climb out of third place in the polls.
