Assuming the role of leading the anti-Covid-19 effort of the government, former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe received a lot of support from the public.

Edouard Philippe has worked under French President Emmanuel Macron for the past three years as a loyal and humble prime minister.

Prime Minister Philippe and his cabinet resigned on July 3, clearing the way for President Macron to form a new government amid declining support for Macron.

Presidential candidate in 2017, Macron at that time did not hesitate to make a decision to promote Philippe, then a member of the right-wing Republicans, from the position of mayor of the port city of Le Havre, Normandy, to work.

Philippe admitted he had only met Macron three times before the first round of elections and was "extremely nervous" before becoming the owner of the Matignon Mansion, the prime minister's palace.

In recent weeks, Philippe's voice and image have tended to be stronger, brighter than President Macron.

Philippe, not Macron, led the government's response efforts to protests against pension reform in France in late 2019 and early 2020, as well as the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

While President Macron only occasionally makes public statements through televised speeches, Philippe is the one who updates the disease regularly.

As a result, Philippe's creditworthiness has recently increased in public opinion polls, while Macron's credit rating has plummeted.

A poll released last week found that 44% of respondents trusted President Macron, but 51% said they had a positive view of Prime Minister Philippe, up 13% from the time Covid-19 broke out.

The style of a technocrat in Philippe helped him gain more public sympathy during the peak of the Covid-19 crisis.

The crux of the tensions that exist between Macron and Philippe is thought to have been due to Philippe refusing to become a key member of President Macron's Progressive Party (LREM).

Over the past few weeks, Philippe participated in two political fronts for his future, as prime minister of France and as mayor of Le Havre in local elections.

Philippe won a resounding victory on the Le Havre front, helping him consolidate his political credibility, but on the other hand raised suspicions that he and President Macron could no longer work together.

The LREM Party was unable to win an overwhelming victory in local elections, making Philippe's victory as an independent candidate even more brilliant.

This seems to mean that Philippe will return to the familiar city of Le Havre, though his long-term ambition is unclear.

Keeping a cool appearance, Philippe is also a person who regularly practices boxing.