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.
2 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
Polony proposes policy of French production prioritization
Natacha Polony's campaign platform includes prioritizing French production in public procurement to stimulate economic activity and increase state revenue. She also proposes eliminating all subsidies to companies that are not conditional on production on French soil, as part of her broader 'politics of production' agenda.
Polony becomes 34th declared candidate for 2027 French presidency
With her announcement, Natacha Polony becomes the 34th officially declared candidate for the 2027 French presidential election. However, the requirement for 500 endorsements from eligible elected officials across at least 30 departments will significantly reduce the number of candidates who can actually appear on the ballot.
Natacha Polony launches political movement claiming 60,000 members
Natacha Polony launched a political movement in September 2026 with the stated goal of gathering those dissatisfied with current political options. By October 14, she claims the movement has attracted approximately 60,000 members and serves as the basis for her presidential candidacy.
Essayist Natacha Polony announces candidacy for 2027 French presidential election
Natacha Polony, a 51-year-old essayist and former director of the weekly magazine Marianne, announced on October 14 on France Inter that she will run as a candidate in the 2027 French presidential election. She stated she is running to unite the "orphans of politics" and to address what she describes as France's loss of rank on economic issues, independence, and sovereignty.
Zemmour to announce presidential candidacy soon
Éric Zemmour indicated that he will announce his candidacy for the French presidency in the near future, now that the presidential campaign is beginning.
Zemmour polls at 4-5 percent support
Éric Zemmour's Reconquête party is credited with 4 to 5 percent support in current election polling.
Jordan Bardella faces antisemitic remarks controversy
Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally (RN), has been accused of making antisemitic remarks. Bardella has denied these allegations, but the remarks remain the subject of public and political debate.
Marine Le Pen announces presidential candidacy
Marine Le Pen announced her candidacy for the French presidency on July 7. This announcement marked a significant shift in far-right political positioning and has been the catalyst for subsequent developments within the National Rally party.
Zemmour claims Bardella marginalized within National Rally
Éric Zemmour stated that since Marine Le Pen's candidacy announcement on July 7, Jordan Bardella has been undergoing marginalization within the National Rally party structure.
Éric Zemmour expresses skepticism of Bardella's denials
Éric Zemmour, leader of Reconquête party and competitor to the National Rally on the far-right, stated on RTL radio that he does not truly believe Jordan Bardella's denials regarding the antisemitic remarks attributed to him.
Zemmour predicts Bardella will not become Prime Minister
Éric Zemmour stated that Jordan Bardella will not become Prime Minister (Matignon) if Marine Le Pen wins the presidential election, despite claims by the National Rally party that he would hold that position.
Raphaël Glucksmann struck with flour after primary victory in Paris
Following his primary victory on Sunday evening, October 11, 2026, Raphaël Glucksmann was struck with flour as he exited a bar in the 20th arrondissement of Paris where he was celebrating his win. Video footage showed an unidentified person positioned behind the candidate emptying a packet of flour over his head as he walked toward a taxi. Glucksmann immediately entered the vehicle. This incident follows similar flour-throwing incidents targeting other French political figures including Jordan Bardella (November 2025), François Hollande, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and François Fillon.
Jordan Bardella condemns flour-throwing incident as unacceptable violence
Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally (Rassemblement national), responded to the flour-throwing incident targeting Raphaël Glucksmann on Sunday evening by posting on X (formerly Twitter) that there is no such thing as minor aggression or insignificant physical assault. Bardella characterized the incident as 'unacceptable violence' despite the non-harmful nature of flour. This statement represents a cross-political response to the protest action.
Raphaël Glucksmann wins first round of French left-wing primary with 66.17% of votes
Raphaël Glucksmann, leader of Place publique and a 46-year-old Member of European Parliament, decisively won the first round of the social-democratic left primary election on Sunday, October 11, 2026. He secured 66.17% of the vote (79,613 votes) out of 120,787 total voters. His nearest competitor, PS First Secretary Olivier Faure, received only 14.46% (17,398 votes). Other candidates Ségolène Royal, Jérôme Guedj, and Emmanuel Maurel each obtained less than 10% of votes. Glucksmann emerged as the official candidate of the social-democratic left for the 2027 presidential election.
Jordan Bardella denies authorship of antisemitic messages on LCI television
Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally (RN), appeared on LCI television on October 8 to deny accusations of antisemitism. He stated he never made the offensive statements, refused to characterize them as youthful errors, and described himself as a reasonable person without particular taste for extremism. He claimed he never met antisemitic ideologue Alain Soral.
Bardella files defamation lawsuits against Mediapart
Jordan Bardella filed a defamation lawsuit against Mediapart and announced preparation of an additional lawsuit for forgery and fraud. He accused the investigation site and its journalists of attempting to politically assassinate him.
Mediapart publishes antisemitic messages attributed to Jordan Bardella from 2013
Mediapart revealed antisemitic messages dated to 2013 attributed to Jordan Bardella, then 17 years old. The messages were described as unequivocal statements of antisemitic content.
Bardella claims accusations are destabilization operation ahead of 2027 presidential campaign
Bardella presented himself as a victim of a destabilization operation, though he excluded the possibility of internal party involvement. He suggested external actors could be responsible and used conspiratorial rhetoric, saying time would reveal the truth. He characterized the entire affair as a distraction from actual campaign issues.
Ifop poll shows majority of French voters unconvinced by Bardella's denial
An Ifop poll conducted October 7-8 among 1,000 eligible voters found that 61% were not convinced by Bardella's denials. Additionally, 21% reported a deteriorated image of Bardella due to the accusations, and 74% judged the accusations as grave.
Mélenchon's autumn rally schedule includes Clermont-Ferrand and Bourget convention
Jean-Luc Mélenchon's campaign features coordinated rallies designed to respond to opponents. A rally is scheduled for Clermont-Ferrand on October 11, 2026, the day after Gabriel Attal holds a rally in Lyon. A major LFI convention will be held at Bourget in Seine-Saint-Denis on November 7, 2026, where the party will unveil its full campaign platform. This convention is strategically timed two weeks after the National Rally's congress in Orléans.
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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.