French presidential candidate Philippe wins support of minister Darmanin

Aug 17 (Reuters) - French ‌conservative presidential ​candidate ​Edouard Philippe has won the backing of government minister Gerald Darmanin ‌for next year's election, Darmanin said in ⁠a newspaper interview published on Monday.

• Darmanin, who is ‌France's justice minister ‌and part of the conservative, right-wing political bloc, told regional paper La Voix du ​Nord that he was backing Philippe — rather than standing himself — "in the interests of ⁠the country".

• "We are in an extremely difficult situation, with many difficult ​social issues for French people. Therefore I have decided not to create ​any further divisions, so ‌I will not stand myself for the presidential election. I will back, ⁠and I hope that others do likewise, Edouard Philippe for the presidential election," Darmanin told ⁠the newspaper.

• Philippe was President Emmanuel Macron's first prime ​minister, from May 2017 to July 2020, contending with the 'Yellow Vests' protests of 2018 and the COVID ‌pandemic.

• Two opinion polls published in July suggested far-right leader Marine Le ‌Pen could win next year's election despite ⁠an appeal court ‌upholding a guilty ​verdict for embezzlement of EU funds.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta. Editing by Mark ‌Potter)

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