Overview
- Rachida Dati submitted her resignation on Wednesday to focus on the Paris mayoral contest, which the Élysée accepted while offering her public support.
- The presidency on Thursday appointed Catherine Pégard—former Versailles chief and Macron cultural adviser—as the new culture minister.
- An Ifop poll places Dati near 30% in the first round, narrowly trailing Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire and seen as competitive in a potential run-off.
- Campaign tensions escalated after Dati called Grégoire's warning of a 'brown wave' 'social racism,' a charge he dismissed as ridiculous.
- Backed by Les Républicains and centrist MoDem, Dati is running on tougher policing and a shift to renovating existing social housing, while a corruption case is slated for trial in the autumn.