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Raphaël Glucksmann announces bid for 2027 French presidential election

The centre-left EU lawmaker enters the race aiming to unite moderate left-wing voters and challenge Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

The short version

  • Centre-left politician Raphaël Glucksmann officially declared his candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election on TF1 television.
  • Glucksmann positions himself as a pro-European alternative to both hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon and far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
  • French media report that Glucksmann's partner, television anchor Léa Salamé, will step down from her presenting duties on France 2 during the campaign.

Key facts

  • Raphaël Glucksmann announced his presidential candidacy on French television channel TF1 ahead of the April and May 2027 elections.[France 24]
  • Glucksmann previously led the mainstream French left alliance to secure 14% of the vote in the 2024 European Parliament election.[France 24]
  • Opinion polls currently show far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading first-round voting intentions, while Glucksmann trails hard-left figure Jean-Luc Mélenchon.[France 24]
  • French media report that France 2 news anchor Léa Salamé will step aside from her broadcasting role throughout the campaign to prevent potential conflicts of interest.[France 24]

What remains uncertain

  • It remains uncertain whether Glucksmann or another candidate will succeed in unifying France's fragmented centre-left and broader left-wing factions before 2027.[France 24]

Sources