Raphael Glucksmann, the 46-year-old MEP and head of the centre-left Place Publique party, has launched his bid for the French presidency. The former essayist is seeking to unite moderate left-wing voters and challenge hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon for dominance of France's fractured left ahead of the 2027 election.
Positioning himself as a pro-European and pro-Ukraine alternative to both the hard left and far right, Glucksmann currently holds 10-12 percent in the polls and is particularly popular among young people, a phenomenon described as "Glucksmania." This comes as Marine Le Pen leads first-round polls and the campaign is increasingly shaped by far-right influence.
Glucksmann will participate in a Socialist Party primary in October to select its candidate. He joins a crowded field of left-wing contenders, including Greens leader Marine Tondelier, Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, and potentially former president Francois Hollande.
Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of La France Insoumise, is surging in the polls and could reach the run-off. Melenchon recently used a speech on environmental planning at his party's summer conference to court the Greens.