Politics · France · 4 hrs ago
Raphaël Glucksmann chosen as French centre-left candidate for 2027 election
Raphaël Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament, has been chosen as the centre-left candidate for France’s 2027 presidential election.
He leads the small party Place Publique and won a primary held by the Socialist party.
The Socialist party will not put forward its own candidate, the first time it has done so since it was founded in 1969.
Glucksmann says the centre left must believe it can win to stop the far right taking the presidency.
Polls put him behind far-right leader Marine Le Pen, centre-right contender Édouard Philippe and left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Glucksmann refuses to work with Mélenchon and faces criticism from some on the left who see him as too centrist.
He says he wants to win back working-class voters and make environmental policy a central focus.
Raphaël Glucksmann was chosen as the French centre-left candidate for the 2027 presidential election after winning a Socialist party primary.
He urged the centre left to fight to prevent Marine Le Pen’s far right from winning the presidency.
Glucksmann said the campaign would be brutal and called for the left to believe it could win.
He is polling behind Le Pen, centre-right contender Édouard Philippe and radical-left politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
His candidacy is the first time the Socialist party will not have its own presidential candidate since it was founded in 1969.
- Who
- Raphaël Glucksmann, a European lawmaker and founder of Place Publique.
- What
- He was chosen as the centre-left candidate for France’s 2027 presidential election after winning a Socialist party primary.
- When
- He was designated on Sunday night; the article was published on 12 October 2026.
- Where
- France.
- Why
- He said the centre left must fight to prevent Marine Le Pen’s far right from winning the presidency.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
We’ve got to rid our hearts of the spirit of defeat
historic moment
like no other we have ever experienced
wasted 10 years
Glucksmann was designated as a presidential candidate after winning the Socialist party primary.
Glucksmann called for an “existential battle” against the far right and spoke to France Inter radio.
- Primary
- Glucksmann won the Socialist party’s centre-left primary
- Election
- French presidential election in 2027
- Party
- Place Publique, founded by Glucksmann
- European Parliament
- Glucksmann has been a member since 2019
- Polling
- Glucksmann was polling between 9% and 14%
Sources
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