European Parliament member Raphaël Glucksmann, leader of the centre-left Place Publique party, is expected to announce his candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election on Sunday evening during the main news broadcast on commercial network TF1, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.
Glucksmann is expected to confirm that he will first compete in a joint primary organized for October by his party and the Socialist Party to select a unified candidate for the French presidency at the Élysée Palace.
A close associate of Glucksmann told French news outlet 20 Minutes in July that there was a strong desire to launch a joint campaign and a genuine relationship of trust with Socialist activists, noting that his team had always been willing to accept a democratic selection process.
Although Glucksmann resisted the idea of an open primary in recent months, building a national presidential campaign without the backing of France's primary centre-left party proved impractical. A Socialist MP noted that Glucksmann was well aware the Socialist Party could not campaign for him without a formal vote by its members, while a Socialist senator added that Glucksmann had no chance of success without party support.
Negotiations over primary rules and fees
Place Publique and the Socialist Party are continuing discussions to finalize the framework of the October vote. Key points of friction include the participation fee charged to non-party members, which has triggered controversy within the left, as well as the number of official sponsorships required for each candidate.
Organizers aim to publish the finalized primary guidelines ahead of the Socialist Party summer school in the central French city of Blois, scheduled for August 28 to 29. The gathering marks the traditional political return for French Socialists ahead of the autumn campaign season.
Field of rival candidates in the social-democratic primary
Glucksmann faces a competitive contest to secure the nomination of the social-democratic camp. Former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal, who ran as the Socialist nominee in 2007, has already declared her candidacy, alongside Socialist MPs Philippe Brun and Jérôme Guedj.
Additional high-profile figures are expected to join the race shortly. Socialist Party First Secretary Olivier Faure and Boris Vallaud, the leader of the Socialist group in the National Assembly, are both expected to launch prospective bids for the primary nomination.
Media conflict of interest for presenter Léa Salamé
The political announcement will also trigger immediate changes in French television broadcasting. Glucksmann's partner, prominent journalist Léa Salamé, is expected to step down from her role as presenter of the evening news program 20 Heures on public channel France 2.
Salamé has consistently maintained that she would withdraw from hosting the flagship news program if Glucksmann entered the French presidential race to prevent any potential conflict of interest.
