At 76, Philippe de Villiers is experiencing a resurgence in popularity on the far right, boosted by promotion from Vincent Bolloré's group. His bestselling books, TV show, and anti-immigration petition are amplifying his reach. This momentum could influence the 2027 presidential campaign.
Philippe de Villiers, the 76-year-old Vendéen known for his sovereignist and radical discourse, is receiving massive support from Vincent Bolloré's group. After two modest presidential runs – 4.74% of votes in 1995 and 2.23% in 2007 –, he is emerging as an influential figure on the far right, sometimes eclipsing Éric Zemmour as the prophet of fears tied to the 'great replacement'.
His latest book, Populicide, published on October 8 by Fayard (Bolloré group), follows the success of Mémoricide, which sold over 230,000 copies. Every Friday, his CNews show draws more than 800,000 viewers, reaching up to 7% audience share, and is rebroadcast on Europe 1.
In September, a petition for a referendum against immigration, organized by the Journal du dimanche (JDD) teams, gathered nearly 2 million signatures. This figure, though potentially manipulable, has built an unprecedented email database, sufficient to fund an electoral campaign, according to Alexandre Pesey, director of the Institut de formation politique.
Pesey notes: “Something is building around him, especially among the young. There were the Sarkozy, Marion Maréchal, Zemmour effects; now there's the De Villiers effect. Since the petition's success, the atmosphere resembles what happened around Éric Zemmour in 2021: a rising tune, infrastructure taking shape, people coming to him, a literary tour…” This resurgence positions De Villiers as a spur for the right ahead of 2027.