The 33rd Trombinoscope Awards ceremony took place in Paris on Wednesday 12 February 2025. This annual event, which rewards outstanding personalities in French politics, took place in the prestigious Hôtel de Lassay, at the French National Assembly, in the presence of the winners, members of the jury and Trombinoscope’s partners.
The Dods France team was present at the event, which was attended by a jury of leading political journalists and editors: Christophe Barbier (BFMTV), Albert Ripamonti (Public Sénat), Emmanuel Kessler (LCP), Ludovic Vigogne (La Tribune), Nathalie Mauret (Groupe Ebra), Yves Thréard (Le Figaro) and Sonia Mabrouk (Europe 1 – CNews).
Bruno Retailleau, Political Personality of the Year
The ‘Political Personality of the Year’ award went to Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior in the Barnier-Bayrou government since September 2024. He succeeds Yaël Braun-Pivet and Gérard Larcher, who received the award last year for their commitment to the fight against anti-semitism.
The prize was awarded on the same day that he announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Les Républicains party. It confirms Bruno Retailleau‘s recent rise to prominence. A former senator and leader of the LR group in the Senate, this man from the Vendée has long been seen as a man in the shadows. Close to Philippe de Villiers in his early days and a fervent Catholic, he embodies a liberal-conservative line close to that of François Fillon, whom he supported in the 2017 presidential election.
After losing out to Eric Ciotti for the LR presidency in 2022, Bruno Retailleau finally took control of Place Beauvau following Michel Barnier‘s appointment as prime minister and Laurent Wauquiez‘s refusal to join the government.
This internal candidacy foreshadows a duel with Laurent Wauquiez for the leadership of the Républicains in preparation for the 2027 presidential elections. However, competition is already fierce on the right and centre-right, with other political figures likely to enter the race, including Gérald Darmanin, Gabriel Attal, Edouard Philippe and Xavier Bertrand.
Jean-Philippe Tanguy, MEP of the year: a controversial award
Another highlight of the evening was the awarding of the ‘MP of the Year’ prize to Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a member of the National Assembly. This award marks the return of Marine Le Pen‘s party to the institutional scene, which had not been recognised by the Trombinoscope since 2015.
However, this recognition of one of the RN’s most prominent MPs was not unanimous. It provoked strong reactions, especially from a few left-wing figures. Among them, Marine Tondelier, national secretary of the Ecologists and winner of the ‘Political Revelation of the Year’ award, and Clémentine Autain, NUPES MP, publicly expressed their indignation.
A ceremony between recognition and tension
The 33rd edition of the Trombinoscope Awards was marked by a combination of tributes to personalities who have left their mark on the political landscape and polemics that bear witness to persistent divisions. This event once again illustrates the vibrancy of the political debate in France, between the appreciation of individual achievements and ideological confrontations.