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NEW YORK Sunday, October 11, 2026

Europe

Glucksmann Wins Centre-Left Primary for French Presidency

EU lawmaker secures left's presidential nomination ahead of runoff against far-right candidate.

New York Editorial News Desk October 11, 2026 1 min read

The Brief

  • Raphael Glucksmann won the centre-left primary with 66% of the vote.
  • Turnout was 120,000, down from 2.8 million in 2011.
  • Glucksmann opposes alliances with Melenchon and faces Le Pen in potential runoff.

Raphael Glucksmann, an EU lawmaker, won the centre-left presidential primary in France on Sunday, securing an outright majority with 66% of the vote.

The primary was held in a first round of voting, with more than 120,000 people participating, a significant drop from the 2.8 million who took part in the Socialists’ 2011 primary.

Glucksmann, who leads the Place Publique movement, has positioned himself as a break from both Macronism and Jean-Luc Melenchon’s dominance on the left.

He opposes any alliance with Melenchon, whose France Unbowed party has been a key player in the left’s political landscape. Opinion polls suggest he could reach the May 2 runoff against Marine Le Pen of the far right.

The victory is a setback for Socialist Party head Olivier Faure, who had supported alliances with Melenchon and received only 14.5% of the vote.

Glucksmann has criticized some of President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business policies but supports a pro-European, pro-Ukraine stance, aligning himself with liberal democratic values.

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