Key facts
- Raphaël Glucksmann won France's center-left presidential primary with over 66% of the vote.
- Glucksmann, leader of the Place Publique party, will represent the Socialists and their allies in the presidential election.
- Over 120,000 people voted in the primary.
- Glucksmann opposes an alliance with Jean-Luc Mélenchon's France Unbowed party.
- Polls suggest Glucksmann could reach the presidential runoff but lose to the far-right's Marine Le Pen.
Raphaël Glucksmann, an EU lawmaker and leader of the Place Publique movement, won France's center-left presidential primary on Sunday, securing over 66% of the vote. Organizers said more than 120,000 people participated in the election.
Glucksmann, who entered the contest as a favorite, now has the backing of the Socialist Party and its allies for next year's presidential election. He stated his victory shows that "a left that is faithful to its values can unite, govern and win." Glucksmann aims to "turn the page on Macronism, stop the far right and change our lives."
However, Glucksmann faces the challenge of uniting a fractured left and competing against hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, whose France Unbowed party is polling higher. Glucksmann has campaigned against forming an alliance with Mélenchon. Opinion polls suggest Glucksmann could reach the presidential runoff but is projected to lose to far-right frontrunner Marine Le Pen.
Other candidates in the primary included former minister Ségolène Royal and lawmakers Jérôme Guedj and Emmanuel Maurel. Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, who favored alliances with Mélenchon's party, garnered 14.5% of the vote.