French hard-left politician Melenchon to stand in 2027 presidential election

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leading figure in the hard-left France Unbowed (La ​France Insoumise) political party, will stand in next year's ‌presidential election, he said on Sunday.

"Yes, I am a candidate," Melenchon told TF1 TV.

Melenchon, 74, has been a fixture of the ​French left for decades, holding ministerial posts in ​past governments when he was a Socialist Party member. ⁠He ran for president in 2012, 2017 and 2022, ​coming third that year behind far-right leader Marine Le ​Pen and President Emmanuel Macron.

"We have less than a year to go until the second round of the election. With us, it is ​all sorted out - there is a team, a manifesto, ​and a single candidate," added Melenchon.
Under the French constitution, Macron cannot ‌seek ⁠a third mandate as president.

Edouard Philippe, Macron’s first prime minister in 2017, is also set to stand in 2027, representing a centre-right camp.

The far-right National Rally (RN) party, led by Le ​Pen and her ​protégé Jordan ⁠Bardella, is polling strongly at present although the RN failed to win control of ​any major city during French municipal elections in March.

Le ​Pen, ⁠who ran in the last three elections, is barred from standing because of a conviction for misuse of EU funds, ⁠which ​she is trying to overturn on ​appeal; should she fail, Bardella is widely expected to stand in her ​stead.

- Reuters