French presidential candidate Philippe wins support of minister Darmanin

Aug 17 - 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. REUTERS