Édouard Philippe misidentifies Dijon mayor during political congress

During the 126th national congress of the Parti radical in Dijon on October 11, 2026, presidential candidate Édouard Philippe drew attention for repeatedly misidentifying the mayor of Dijon.

Philippe addressed François Rebsamen as ‘Monsieur le maire’ at both the beginning and the end of his speech. However, the position of mayor is currently held by Nathalie Koenders, who had spoken at the congress just minutes before him. Rebsamen, who served as mayor from 2015 to 2024, was present at the event.

Responding to murmurs from the audience regarding the error, Philippe stated that for him, Rebsamen would always remain ‘Monsieur le maire’ regardless of other titles such as minister or senator. The event also featured Gabriel Attal, with both candidates calling for political unity ahead of the 2027 presidential election.