Le Pen confirmed as candidate; Bardella shifts to prime minister prospect
Le Pen confirmed as RN presidential candidate; Bardella pivots to prime minister prospect amid internal policy disagreements.
Event / Politics
French Presidential Election 2027
Coverage of the 2027 French presidential election campaign, including candidate announcements, policy positions, and political developments across the political spectrum.
3 reported locations
Daily activity
55 articles0 articles
2026-08-02 to 2026-10-30 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 28 Mar, 12:07 UTC
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What happened
French presidential election scheduled for April 18, 2027
The first round of the French presidential election is scheduled for April 18, 2027.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon has approximately 200 eligible endorsers from La France insoumise
Jean-Luc Mélenchon has approximately 200 elected officials susceptible to endorse him who are affiliated with La France insoumise, according to coordinator Manuel Bompard.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon collected over 360,000 citizen endorsements
The La France insoumise candidate collected more than 360,000 citizen endorsements for his presidential candidacy.
French presidential candidates require 500 endorsements from elected officials
French presidential candidates must obtain 500 endorsements from parliamentarians, mayors, departmental or regional councilors. This rule has been in effect since 1976.
Polony proposes emergency production measures for French economy
Polony proposed declaring a "state of emergency of production" to address France's trade deficit, including implementing national priority in public procurement. She called for complete reform of teacher training and increasing the number of teachers.
Journalist Natacha Polony announces entry into French politics
Journalist Natacha Polony announced her entry into French politics in an interview with Le Parisien on Friday, August 29, 2026. She stated she is launching a political movement for those left behind by existing political options, declaring "I launch a movement for all the orphans of politics... the time will come to give this dynamic a name, contours."
Polony does not rule out 2027 presidential candidacy
When asked about a possible candidacy in the 2027 French presidential election, Polony stated "I exclude nothing," indicating she has not ruled out running. However, she clarified she was not behind the website polony2027.fr which was under construction.
Polony identifies as social Gaullist
Polony positioned herself politically as a proponent of "social Gaullism," a political ideology combining nationalist and social welfare principles.
National Rally confirms headscarf ban was previously part of Marine Le Pen's campaign platforms
The proposed ban on wearing headscarves in public spaces had been included in Marine Le Pen's program during her three previous presidential candidacies. The measure had been subject to internal debate within the party, with some figures like Jordan Bardella expressing reservations.
National Rally deputy says party unity settled on headscarf ban policy
Tanguy confirmed that internal party discussions about the headscarf ban have been resolved, stating the party has now reached a unified position on the measure. He acknowledged having previously changed his own position on the issue after reconsidering his experience growing up in suburban Paris.
National Rally claims 60-70% of French support headscarf ban proposal
Jean-Philippe Tanguy stated that 60 to 70 percent of French citizens support the proposed ban, arguing that the headscarf represents an ideology contrary to French values rather than merely a clothing choice.
National Rally deputy Sébastien Chenu previously proposed referendum on public building headscarf ban
In July 2026, National Rally vice-president Sébastien Chenu suggested holding a referendum on banning headscarves in all public buildings, with the stated long-term goal of eliminating the headscarf from public streets entirely. This aligned with a text the party had submitted in 2021 aimed at combating Islamist ideologies.
National Rally proposes fining women for wearing headscarves in public spaces
Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a deputy of the National Rally party and lieutenant to Marine Le Pen, announced on August 30 that the party plans to penalize the wearing of Islamic headscarves in public spaces with fines if it comes to power in 2027. The measure would apply to women wearing headscarves in the same manner as traffic violations for not wearing seatbelts.
French law since 2010 prohibits face-covering garments in public spaces
France has maintained a law since 2010 that prohibits the concealment of the face in public spaces, which applies to niqabs and burqas. However, this law does not apply to headscarves that leave the face visible, such as hijabs. A general ban on all headscarves would require new legislation.
Green Party members debate autonomous candidacy versus coalition support
Green Party activists and leaders express conflicting views on whether the party should run its own presidential candidate or support an existing left-wing candidate. Some argue for autonomy and taking leadership on climate issues; others prioritize preventing far-right victory through broader left-wing unity.
French Green Party activists divided on 2027 presidential strategy
Green Party activists gathered at summer conference in Grenoble are internally divided over which left-wing candidate to support in the 2027 presidential election. Party leadership, including Marine Tondelier, has not reached consensus on whether to back radical left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, centrist Raphaël Glucksmann, or run an autonomous Green candidate.
Green Party sends letter to left-wing parties proposing program dialogue
The Green Party leadership sent a letter to other left-wing formations proposing discussions about a shared program and finding common ground ahead of the 2027 presidential election, drawing parallels to the successful 2024 creation of the New Popular Front coalition.
Marine Tondelier, Green Party leader, considered potential autonomous presidential candidate
Marine Tondelier, secretary of the French Green Party, is being discussed as a potential autonomous presidential candidate by some party members, though party activists note that presidential elections have historically not been favorable for the Greens.
Paris prosecutor opens investigation into Russian interference in French presidential campaign
The Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, into suspected Russian interference targeting multiple presidential candidates for the 2027 French election, including Gabriel Attal, Édouard Philippe, and Raphaël Glucksmann.
Matriochka disinformation campaign uses coordinated social media and fake media impersonation
The pro-Russian disinformation operation 'Matriochka' operates by publishing false content distributed in a coordinated manner across social media platforms, then amplified by users directly engaging media outlets to report on the false information. The fake content impersonates the visual identity of French and European media outlets, including the Agence France-Presse.
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2 alternative perspectives
Le Pen announces 2027 candidacy after court upholds conviction
Le Pen announces 2027 candidacy after conviction upheld but eligibility preserved; cassation appeal pending.
Le Pen announces 2027 candidacy despite court conviction
Le Pen announces 2027 candidacy after court conviction but maintains eligibility through successful appeal challenge.
Le Pen defies conviction, secures 2027 candidacy confirmation
Le Pen convicted but eligible; confirmed as RN's 2027 presidential candidate alongside Bardella.
Court upholds Le Pen conviction, confirms her 2027 eligibility
Court upholds Le Pen's conviction but confirms her 2027 eligibility, formalizing her RN candidacy.
Appeals court to rule on Le Pen's eligibility as Bardella signals succession readiness
Court ruling on Le Pen's 2027 eligibility could trigger succession to Bardella as RN's presidential candidate.
Paris court to rule on Le Pen's 2027 eligibility in July hearing
Paris court will rule on Le Pen's five-year ineligibility in RN parliamentary funds case, with Bardella positioned as potential replacement.
French court to rule on Le Pen's 2027 eligibility in July
French court rules July 7 on Le Pen's 2027 eligibility amid National Rally's commanding polling lead.
Philippe launches campaign platform with school and pension reforms
Philippe launches campaign with school reform platform, secured ministerial support, targets far-left and far-right opponents.
Communist Party affirms independent 2027 candidacy with Roussel reelected
Communist Party reaffirms 2027 candidacy despite internal divisions over Roussel's leadership.
De Villepin leads centrist party ahead of 2027 race
De Villepin leads centrist party La France humaniste with 60,000 members for 2027 presidential race.
RN appeals court ruling on parliamentary assistants case pending
RN faces potential candidacy restrictions from pending appeals court ruling on parliamentary assistants case.