Raphael Glucksmann, 46, confirmed on Sunday evening in a prime time interview on TF1 that he will run in France's 2027 presidential election. The MEP and leader of the centre-left party Place Publique answered plainly when asked, saying he is indeed a candidate.
Polls currently put him at 10 to 12 percent of voting intentions, a respectable figure but likely not enough on its own to reach a second round. The joint PS Place Publique list he led took 13.8 percent in the last European elections. Glucksmann has built particular popularity among younger voters, a trend some commentators have taken to calling Glucksmania.
To avoid splitting the left-wing vote too many ways, the Socialist Party and Place Publique are preparing a joint primary in October to choose a single candidate. The exact format is still being worked out, but Socialist party members have already rejected an open primary in favor of a vote restricted to party members, a smaller electorate that works in Glucksmann's favor.