Recently, unusual statements by prominent politicians about their private lives have emerged in the French political arena, which has sparked widespread media interest, especially as they coincide with the approaching presidential elections expected in 2027, amid increasing monitoring of the movements of individuals aspiring to reach the Elysee.

Published on: 01/05/2026 - 17:20

In an unusual move in France, two prominent politicians chose to highlight an aspect of their private lives, which sparked widespread interest, in a move seen as having promotional dimensions as the 2027 presidential elections approach.

This concerns both Jordan Bardella (30 years old), head of the far-right National Rally party, and Gabriel Attal (37 years old), who in 2024 became the youngest prime minister in the history of France, and the first to hold this position and publicly declare his homosexuality.

In April, Bardella made headlines after Paris Match magazine published pictures of him on its cover with his girlfriend, Princess Maria Carolina di Borbon of the Two Sicilies (22 years old), following months of speculation about the nature of their relationship.

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The magazine reported that it "accidentally found" the duo while they were strolling in all their elegance on the coast of the French island of Corsica. Bardella later told France 2 that he and his girlfriend "decided to stop hiding and accept what has now become for us a self-evident truth in our private lives," adding, "I am very happy."

Bardella, who is considered one of the controversial figures in France, is expected to run in the presidential elections to choose a successor to Emmanuel Macron, if it is proven that National Rally leader Marine Le Pen is banned from running in the race due to judicial prosecutions.

Following Bardella, Atal, who is likely to soon announce his intention to run for the presidential race, published a book in April in which he talks at length about his private life, from his father’s struggle with addiction and his early death, the difficulties his mother faced, and his sisters’ struggle with issues such as anti-Semitism or wage discrimination.

The book, titled “En Homme Libre,” devoted a chapter to “the man of my life,” the European Commissioner and former French minister Stephane Ségournet.

“I have nothing to hide, and certainly not the man I love,” the centrist politician Attal wrote, emphasizing that he wanted “my struggles, my values ​​and my ideas” to be the link with the French, not his private life.

"starting whistle"

Media and communication experts place what the two politicians did in the context of promotion.

Philippe Moreau-Chevrolet, professor of communication at the Institute of Political Sciences in Paris (Sciences Po), says that the race to succeed Macron, scheduled for 2027 after two consecutive terms, which is the constitutionally permissible limit, has begun.

He points out that "the presidential campaign was launched with Bardella in Paris Match. That was clearly the starting whistle."

He continues, "Then it was Atal's turn," considering that "revealing private life" is an essential part of any successful attempt to reach the presidency.

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French politicians have long resorted to Paris Match for electoral promotion.

Right-wing former President Nicolas Sarkozy gave an interview with her in 2007 before his election, and socialist François Hollande topped her cover with his then-partner Valérie Trierweiler before his election in 2012, and Macron and his wife Brigitte did the same with a photo on the beach in 2016, a year before his arrival at the Elysee.

Although this strategy contributes to success, political communication expert Gaspar Gantzer believes that politicians who reveal private details are the ones “who need to raise their level of presence.”

He adds that this aspect of the lives of public figures “raises conversations among people who are not necessarily interested in politics.”

"Privacy is more important"

On the other hand, other politicians who had previously announced their intention to run in the presidential elections chose to maintain their privacy.

Former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who is seen as the most likely to defeat the extreme right, chose to talk about his love for singer Bruce Springsteen and the sport of boxing. He also discussed his suffering with alopecia areata, which causes hair loss, and vitiligo, which changes skin color.

But the 55-year-old politician does not talk extensively about his family.

Gantzer believes that this may in turn be an electoral strategy. “If everyone is exposing their private lives, not doing so may be a trump card,” he explains.

He adds that a candidate could “send a message through this: the privacy of my wife and children is more important than anything else... and this could resonate with the French as well.”

France 24/AFP

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