Philippe stood ready to defeat Le Pen. Now his allies are doubting his chances.
The center-right presidential hopeful is facing a pileup of problems: centrist infighting, voter fatigue and surging populists.
Philippe once seen as France's sole hope against Le Pen now faces growing doubts. His campaign, touted as a "massive" platform to fix the country's issues, appears to be falling short. Political insiders have expressed concerns over the lack of impact his proposals are making. Despite his centrality to the race, Philippe's poll ratings have stagnated and he battles to overtake far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon and secure the runoff spot.
With Le Pen and Mélenchon dominating the headlines with their own political maneuvers, Philippe's chances of standing out appear to be dwindling.
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