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IrelandVillepin holds off on 2027 declaration but rejects a primary
France's former prime minister outlines a tax overhaul and calls for a more independent diplomatic voice while leaving his presidential candidacy unannounced.
FranceWhy this story? One of TF1 INFO's most watched videos since yesterday, with 56,782 views.
TF1 INFO: The news division of TF1, a private French television channel owned by the Bouygues group. 1.8M subscribers and 2B views.
Dominique de Villepin candidat en 2027 ? La réponse de l’ancien Premier ministre｜TF1 INFO
Next story: Morelle says French left has lost its working-class base
2 more stories on 2027 French presidential election ›
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:43Villepin says he is waiting for the presidential campaign to begin before making a formal announcement.
- 1:28He expresses no doubts about his ambition and rules out participating in a primary.
- 2:04He rejects being considered an heir to Macron's political project.
- 3:26His proposed tax overhaul would review tax breaks and reduce the burden on work.
- 5:35He proposes shifting some employee contributions toward the CSG and adapting taxation to AI-generated income.
- 6:28He argues that France's diplomatic influence is fading and calls for independent peace proposals.
Dominique de Villepin is waiting for the presidential campaign to begin before making a formal announcement. But asked whether he has doubts about his ambition, France's former prime minister says he has none.
In an interview broadcast by France's TF1 INFO news service, Villepin refuses to participate in a primary and distances himself from President Emmanuel Macron's political legacy. He presents his goal as becoming president of all French people, rather than entering a contest organized around party allegiances.
Villepin served as prime minister under Jacques Chirac from 2005 to 2007. With France heading toward its 2027 presidential election, interviewer Alba Ventura presses him on both his intentions and the policies behind them. His answer stops short of declaring a candidacy, despite the certainty he expresses about his ambition.
On the economy, Villepin proposes what he calls a fiscal "big bang": reviewing tax breaks and restructuring taxation to reduce the burden on work. He advocates shifting part of employee social contributions toward the CSG, France's broad-based social levy, and adapting the tax system to income generated by artificial intelligence. The central idea is to change where social funding comes from, rather than relying so heavily on wages.
The discussion then turns to Russian entry bans that the broadcast says affect French lawmakers and journalists. Villepin argues that France's diplomatic influence is receding and calls for the country to put forward its own peace proposals in international conflicts.
The interview closes with the journalists returning, jokingly, to his lack of doubt about his presidential ambition. The distinction remains important: Villepin has outlined an intended role and a policy direction, but has not used this appearance to announce that he is running.
French politician who was prime minister from 2005 to 2007 under President Jacques Chirac.
More on Wikipedia ›France’s presidential election is scheduled for 18 April 2027, with a runoff on 2 May if no candidate wins a majority.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
More on 2027 French presidential election
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What do you think?
- Channel
- TF1 INFO
- Subscribers
- 1,780,000 ▲ 10,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 22,014,974
- Channel views, pace per day
- 3,882,763 (on a normal day: 3,082,011)
- Video published
- November 12, 2026
- Video views so far
- 56,782 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 60,286
The numbers
The interview drew about 57,000 views since yesterday, placing it among France's most-watched new news videos.
💡 Test your knowledge
Under which French president did Dominique de Villepin serve as prime minister?
Villepin served as prime minister under Jacques Chirac from 2005 to 2007.