politics
About 30 Candidates Express Interest in 2027 French Presidential Election
Nearly 30 people, almost all men, have said they want to run in next year's French presidential election. Many are focused on opposing the far-right National Rally, which leads in polls a year before the vote. Leftwing groups met in Paris this week to mark the 90th anniversary of the Popular Front and discuss forming a united candidate.
cicnews.comAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
About 30 people, nearly all men, have expressed interest in running for president of France in the 2027 election. Many of those potential candidates have said their main goal is to prevent the far-right National Rally from winning power. The National Rally is currently the largest opposition party in parliament and leads in polls.
At a meeting hall in Paris this week, hundreds of leftwing voters gathered despite rainy weather. They chanted "Unity! " while marking the 90th anniversary of France's Popular Front, a leftwing alliance formed in the 1930s. The attendees expressed immediate concerns about the National Rally's rising support.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, cannot run for a third consecutive term under the constitution. This has opened the field more than at any time in the past decade. The political discussion has centered on which candidates might be best positioned to compete against National Rally leader Marine Le Pen or her associate Jordan Bardella.
Leftwing parties at the Paris gathering, including the Socialist party, the Greens and smaller groups, said they would continue with plans for a primary in October. The aim is to select a single candidate and recreate the New Popular Front alliance that opposed the National Rally in the 2024 parliamentary election.
Several prominent figures on the left have signaled they may run independently. Jean-Luc Mélenchon announced this week that he would seek the presidency for a fourth time. The 74-year-old leader of La France Insoumise finished third in the 2022 election.
Other potential leftwing candidates include Raphaël Glucksmann, a centre-left member of the European parliament, and former Socialist president François Hollande.
