European lawmaker Raphaël Glucksmann has called on the French centre left to fight an “existential battle” to stop Marine Le Pen’s far right from winning the 2027 presidential election, after he was chosen as the social democrat candidate for the presidency.
“We must rid our hearts of the spirit of defeat,” said Glucksmann, founder of the small party Place Publique, on Monday morning after his decisive win in a centre-left primary held by the Socialist party.
In his first interview since being named presidential candidate on Sunday night, Glucksmann told France Inter radio that the country was living through a “historic moment,” with the far right at the gates of power. He said the 2027 presidential campaign would be brutal and “like no other we have ever experienced.” He said it would be unbearable to have a centre left “that doesn’t believe in victory,” adding that he could restore a “pride in social democracy.”
Currently, the centre left trails the far right significantly in the polls and also lags behind radical left politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is polling high but with whom Glucksmann refuses to work.
Glucksmann, 46, an essayist and intellectual who argues he is very different from career politicians, is staunchly pro-Europe and pro-Ukraine. His candidacy marks the first time the Socialist party will not have its own presidential candidate since it was founded in 1969. The party suffered two crushing defeats in the last two presidential elections.
Glucksmann has been a member of the European parliament since 2019. He strikes a more reformist and centrist tone than the Socialist party, but has cooperated with it in the past, presenting joint electoral lists. He has made no secret of his presidential ambitions but needed the Socialist party machine behind him for his campaign.
Glucksmann is polling between 9% and 14%, well behind the frontrunner, Le Pen. He also trails the centre-right contender Édouard Philippe, who served as prime minister under Emmanuel Macron.
Crucially, he is also behind Mélenchon, whose party, La France Insoumise, boycotted the Socialist primary and has presented itself as the biggest force in a divided left.
Glucksmann is tasked with regaining centre-left voters who jumped ship to support Macron, though his critics on the left accuse him of being too centrist. He said the French president, who is standing down next spring, “wasted 10 years” failing to act on the climate emergency.
Glucksmann is known for being a campaigner on international issues. He took part in documentary work to raise awareness of the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda and is a former adviser to the anti-Moscow former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili.
Glucksmann, who has been accused by opponents of being too much of a Paris intellectual, said he “lost sleep at night” worrying about how the social-democratic left had lost the working class in France. He said the centre left needed to regain “a form of radicality that we lost” and the focus of this would be environmental policy.
He told the daily Libération he made no apology for being an intellectual and would use his background to “better explain the moment we’re living in” rather than relying on “slogans.”
Glucksmann’s partner, Léa Salamé, is the star presenter of the French public broadcaster’s flagship evening news programme. She has stepped down from presenting the news while he runs for president.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs The French CentreLefts Existential Battle Against the Far Right
Beginner Questions
What does existential battle mean here
It means the centreleft sees this fight as a threat to its very survival If the far right wins the presidency the centreleft could lose its influence and relevance in French politics
Who is the far right in France
Mainly the Rassemblement National formerly the Front National led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella Éric Zemmours Reconqute is another farright force
Who makes up the centreleft
Parties like the Parti Socialiste Place Publique and the Greens often working together in the New Popular Front alliance with the radical left
Why is the presidency so important in France
France has a strong presidency The president sets foreign policy can dissolve parliament and holds major powers Winning it gives the far right huge influence
Has the far right ever won the French presidency
No Le Pen reached the runoff in 2017 and 2022 but lost to Emmanuel Macron both times The fear is that next time could be different
Why cant the centreleft just unite behind one candidate
Personal rivalries policy differences and party interests make unity hard In 2022 multiple left candidates split the vote and none reached the runoff
Intermediate Questions
Why is this battle called existential now
Because the RN keeps growing in polls and local elections If the left stays divided the far right could win in 2027 and the centreleft might not recover
Whats the republican front
Its the tradition of all mainstream parties left and right uniting to block the far right in runoff elections It worked in 2002 and 2022 but its now weakening
Why is the republican front under strain
Many voters dislike being told to vote for a candidate they oppose just to stop the RN Abstention and protest voting are rising especially among workingclass voters
What mistakes has the centreleft made
Critics say it focused too much on urban educated voters and lost touch with workingclass and rural voters the very people drifting to the RN
