Key facts
- Journalist Natacha Polony announced her candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election.
- Polony cited France's "chaos," debt crisis, and "loss of standing" as reasons for her run.
- She advocates for economic, energy, and food sovereignty and reindustrialization.
- Polony previously served as editor-in-chief of Marianne magazine.
- Her movement, "Nous sommes la France," has reportedly attracted 60,000 members.
- Polony criticized France's perceived subservience to European unity under President Macron.
French journalist and essayist Natacha Polony announced on Wednesday that she will run for president in the 2027 election, joining a growing field of candidates. Polony, 51, who previously served as editor-in-chief of Marianne magazine, stated her decision was prompted by a France she described as being in "chaos," facing a debt crisis, "tragic" unrest in schools, and a "total lack of prospects."
Speaking on France Inter radio, Polony said she wanted to "shake up the political landscape" and address France's "complete loss of standing." She advocates for economic, energy, and food sovereignty, alongside a policy of reindustrialization to "revive economic activity" and increase state revenue. In a social media video, she emphasized that a nation that does not produce what it needs is not truly free to fund its public services, preserve its social model, create jobs, or prepare for artificial intelligence.
Polony launched her movement "Nous sommes la France" in late August, aiming to unite those who feel unrepresented by current political options. She claimed the movement has 60,000 members.
In a televised debate in late September, Polony criticized French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, accusing him of viewing France as a "small country" and suggesting that under President Emmanuel Macron, Paris prioritizes being "Europe's star pupil" at the expense of vital national interests. She specifically cited the cancellation of a Franco-German fighter jet project and European defense sector preferences favoring American weapons.
Polony joins a crowded field of nearly 30 figures considering a run for the presidency. Prominent potential candidates include Marine Le Pen of the National Rally, Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France insoumise, and former prime ministers Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal. Raphael Glucksmann is also positioning himself as a candidate on the center-left. Former president François Hollande, Dominique de Villepin, and Bruno Le Maire have not yet declared their intentions.