Raphaël Glucksmann secured 66% of the vote in France’s centre-left primary, avoiding a runoff and positioning himself as a candidate for the 2027 presidential election. He has ruled out an alliance with the radical left led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and pledged to prevent Marine Le Pen from reaching the Élysée.
The 46-year-old European Parliament member comfortably defeated his rivals, Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, who received 14%, and former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal, who secured 7%. Around 140,000 people took part in the online vote, which was open to members of moderate-left parties and participants who paid a €15 registration fee.
Glucksmann’s campaign centred on building a “socialist and democratic” alternative to Mélenchon’s radical left. During the primary, both Faure and Royal accused him of representing a new version of Emmanuel Macron’s politics. Royal, who lost the 2007 presidential election to Nicolas Sarkozy, dismissed Glucksmann as an inexperienced politician after the result.
Addressing supporters following his victory, Glucksmann said he would champion social and tax justice, ecological transformation and democracy. He also promised a break with Macronism and Mélenchon’s influence over the French left.
“I will be the candidate who can defeat our longstanding enemy, the far right. Marine Le Pen will not be at the Élysée in 2027,” he said.
A crowded race ahead
Despite his primary victory, Glucksmann faces a difficult path towards the presidency. He must compete with Mélenchon for support on the left while establishing himself among a wider field of centre-left and centre-right candidates.
Mélenchon, 73, has sought to strengthen his appeal among younger voters, including students involved in street protests. His La France insoumise party has portrayed Glucksmann as a politician aligned with Macron despite his efforts to distance himself from the outgoing president’s political legacy.
Glucksmann’s performance in the primary gives him a platform to expand his campaign, but he will need to broaden his appeal beyond moderate-left voters. Former Socialist president François Hollande has indicated that he could enter the race if necessary, while former prime minister Édouard Philippe is also among the potential contenders.
The presidential election is scheduled for 2027. Glucksmann’s immediate challenge will be to establish himself as an alternative to both Le Pen and Mélenchon as the wider contest takes shape.
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