Raphael Glucksmann launches French presidential bid

Raphael Glucksmann, a French centre-left politician and EU lawmaker, announced on Sunday his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election. He seeks to challenge the dominance of hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon and counter the growing influence of the far-right, led by Marine Le Pen, who consistently tops first-round voting intentions.

Glucksmann, who led the mainstream left alliance to 14% of the vote in the 2024 European Parliament election, faces an uphill battle to unite moderate left-wing forces and defeat Le Pen in a potential runoff, according to opinion polls. He stated his intention to run, saying, "Are we going to hand our country over to the far right? Faced with such a choice, I could not stand aside." He also asserted, "The left can win the presidential election if it stands firm on its principles. We must stop being afraid of Melenchon."

His candidacy emerges as France's political landscape gears up for a highly polarized contest. While critical of some of President Emmanuel Macron's pro-business policies, Glucksmann shares a similar pro-European and pro-Ukraine stance, positioning himself as a defender of liberal democracy. His relationship with Lea Salame, a prominent TV presenter, has also drawn media attention, with reports indicating she will withdraw from anchoring duties during the campaign to avoid conflicts of interest.