- French Politics French Politics French Politics
- 2027 French presidential election 2027 French presidential election 2027 French presidential election
While Alexis Kohler, the Elysée's former chief of staff, has spoken out in defense of the president, candidates from the centrist bloc criticize his governing style while trying not to alienate his voter base.
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With eight months to go before the presidential election, tributes to Emmanuel Macron's record have become a rare commodity. Alexis Kohler, who served as the Elysée's chief of staff from 2017 to 2025, chose his moment to paint a picture of 10 years of Macronism in the pages of La Tribune Dimanche on August 23. "Emmanuel Macron did, or tried to do, everything he said before his election," he wrote.
Once nicknamed Macron's "vice president," Kohler, usually discreet, defended the president's economic, social and political record – criticized by the opposition and, at times, kept at arm's length by candidates from his centrist bloc, sometimes harshly. "We carried out a number of reforms that were considered impossible: the labor ordinances, tax reform, the SNCF [French national rail company] reform and the change to the railway workers' status," he said. "We unlocked something and showed that, with a lot of energy, progress was possible."
Kohler, now deputy director general at the Société Générale bank, dwelled little on the extraordinary crises and controversial reforms that marked the last two presidential terms. Like others in the president's camp, Kohler primarily praised pro-business supply-side policies, of which he was a major advocate.
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