Raphaël Glucksmann navigates steep path to presidency
Raphaël Glucksmann, the 44-year-old European Parliament member and leader of Place Publique, is quietly positioning himself for the 2027 French presidential election amid a fragmented left-wing political landscape. His efforts to unite the left face significant hurdles. Recent polls credit him with modest support, around 3 to 4 percent.
Raphaël Glucksmann, elected to the European Parliament in 2019 and re-elected in 2024 on the PS-Place Publique list, founded his movement Place Publique in 2018 to revitalize French social democracy. At 44 years old, he has emerged as a rising figure by criticizing the divisions within the French left, particularly during the 2024 European elections where his list secured 13.8 percent of the vote.
Despite these relative successes, his path to the 2027 presidential election remains fraught with challenges. Glucksmann is touring France to meet activists and broaden his appeal, but he avoids formally declaring his candidacy. “I am not a candidate, but I am preparing the ground for a united left,” he stated in a recent interview with Le Monde.
Polls by Ifop for the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, published in September 2024, place him at 3 percent in voting intentions, trailing figures like Jean-Luc Mélenchon (14 percent) or François Ruffin (9 percent). Glucksmann highlights the left's inability to unite, as seen in the 2024 legislative elections where the New Popular Front struggled to consolidate its gains.
His pro-European and Atlanticist stance sets him apart from more radical currents, but it complicates potential alliances with La France Insoumise or the Greens. Observers note that his talk of a “decent left” could attract moderates disillusioned with Emmanuel Macron, without resolving the deep ideological fractures.
In summary, Glucksmann represents a hope for left-wing renewal, but his rise will depend on his ability to rally a divided camp before 2027.