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Campaigning intensifies for French presidential election as candidates line up to replace Macron

With Emmanuel Macron constitutionally barred from a third term, a broad field of contenders is competing ahead of the spring voting rounds.

Updated Sep 1, 2026 · 10:22 UTC4 reports

The short version

  • France's presidential campaign is accelerating following the end of summer vacations, with more than two dozen potential candidates seeking to replace Emmanuel Macron.
  • The first round of voting is scheduled for April 18, with a decisive second-round runoff set for May 2.
  • Polls show far-right candidate Marine Le Pen leading the field, while potential challengers include far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon and former prime ministers Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal.
  • Mainstream and centre-left parties are attempting to unify their voters through steps such as a planned October primary between the Socialists and Place Publique.

Key facts

  • French President Emmanuel Macron is constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term.[ABC News · Associated Press · ABC News]
  • The first round of the French presidential election is set for April 18, with the runoff scheduled for May 2.[ABC News · Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Marine Le Pen leads in early polling, supported by a July Paris appeals court decision that shortened an office-seeking ban stemming from an embezzlement conviction.[ABC News · Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure declared his candidacy, joining over two dozen individuals contemplating or intending to run.[ABC News · Associated Press · ABC News]
  • The Socialist Party and Place Publique plan to host a joint primary in October to select a single candidate and consolidate vote support.[France 24]
  • Other prospective candidates include Jean-Luc Mélenchon, former prime ministers Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, Bruno Retailleau, Raphaël Glucksmann, and Marine Tondelier.[ABC News · Associated Press · ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • Which candidates will secure the necessary sponsorship and backing to appear on the official first-round ballot remains undetermined.[ABC News · France 24 · Associated Press · ABC News]
  • It is unknown which challenger will advance alongside front-runner Marine Le Pen to the second-round runoff, or if vote fragmentation will push a far-left or mainstream candidate forward.[ABC News · Associated Press · ABC News]

Sources