Key facts
- Raphael Glucksmann has launched his candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election.
- He aims to unite the fractured French left-wing political forces.
- A recent poll suggests Jean-Luc Melenchon could face Marine Le Pen in the presidential runoff.
- The poll indicates Le Pen would likely defeat Melenchon in a second-round contest.
- Glucksmann's candidacy emerges amidst a polarized French political landscape as President Macron's term nears its end.
Raphael Glucksmann, a French centre-left politician and EU lawmaker, has announced his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election, seeking to unite the fractured left and challenge the growing influence of the far-right. His bid comes as a poll suggests that far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon is the most likely rival to far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the presidential runoff, highlighting a deeply polarized electorate.
Glucksmann, who led his alliance to 14% in the 2024 European Parliament election, faces an uphill battle to unite moderate left-wing forces. The poll indicates Le Pen would receive 35% to 38% of first-round votes, while Melenchon would garner 16% to 17%. In a potential runoff, Le Pen is projected to win 64% of the vote against Melenchon.
Centrist candidates are struggling to connect with voters, and President Emmanuel Macron's second and final term is ending, leaving behind a weakened political center and economy. Centrist candidate Edouard Philippe acknowledged the "real and serious" risk of a second-round confrontation between Le Pen and Melenchon. Glucksmann positions himself as a pro-European defender of liberal democracy, sharing a pro-Ukraine stance with Macron, though critical of some of his pro-business policies. Media attention has also focused on his relationship with prominent TV presenter Lea Salame, who reportedly will withdraw from anchoring duties during his campaign to avoid conflicts of interest.