Glucksmann wins French left primary first round with 66%, vows to unite against far right

A Decisive Victory

Raphaël Glucksmann has been overwhelmingly chosen as the social-democratic left's presidential candidate, winning the primary in the first round on Sunday evening with 66% of the vote (79,613 votes). The MEP far outpaced his closest rival, Socialist Party (PS) First Secretary Olivier Faure, who secured only 14% (17,398 votes). Ségolène Royal, Jérôme Guedj, and Emmanuel Maurel each received less than 10% of the vote.

Key Results

| Candidate | Affiliation | Result | |---|---|---| | Raphaël Glucksmann | Place publique | 66% (79,613 votes) | | Olivier Faure | Parti socialiste | 14% (17,398 votes) | | Ségolène Royal | — | 7.62% | | Jérôme Guedj | PS | ~6% | | Emmanuel Maurel | Gauche républicaine et socialiste | ~6% |

Total turnout: 120,787 voters out of 134,456 registered. The fully electronic vote was disrupted by a cyberattack launched Friday morning at the opening of the ballot, which slowed connections on the dedicated platform and forced organizers to extend voting through Sunday evening.

Glucksmann's Pledge: "Rally" the Left, Refuse LFI Alliance

Speaking on France 2's "20 heures" newscast, Glucksmann said he was "happy" with his large victory and declared it was that of "all those who believe that the left must break with this hegemony of Jean-Luc Mélenchon over it."

He positioned himself as the candidate of "the democratic left" who "can beat the far right," as well as the candidate of "the break with Macronism" and "the break with Jean-Luc Mélenchon's hegemony over the French left."

On the question of alliances with La France insoumise (LFI) in potential snap legislative elections following the presidential vote, Glucksmann was unequivocal: "The question is settled: there will be no agreement with La France insoumise."

He also stated he would remain a candidate to the end, even in the face of unfavorable polling.

A Hand Extended to François Hollande

Glucksmann reached out to former President François Hollande, who has not declared his candidacy and has said he will wait until December to decide. According to several media outlets, including Le Monde, Hollande congratulated Glucksmann by message.

"I tell him he is welcome in this dynamic. He has a title called Unir [Glucksmann cited the title of Hollande's latest book]. We will go into battle united," Glucksmann said on France 2.

He added: "We can see that the 2027 election will decide the fate of the entire European continent. There is a war threatening European soil. Everywhere, democracies are weak in the face of authoritarian temptations. We have a responsibility that surpasses and transcends us."

A Severe Defeat for Olivier Faure and the PS

Olivier Faure suffered a heavy defeat with just 14% of the vote. This marks the first time in the PS's history that it will not have a candidate from its own ranks representing it in a presidential election. Faure, who had argued that a Glucksmann victory would mean the PS's erasure in the presidential race, will now have to support him — as all candidates committed to doing.

Glucksmann said he would "work with the Socialist Party."

Ségolène Royal "Disappointed"

Ségolène Royal, the 2007 presidential candidate who had not hidden her rejection of Glucksmann during the campaign, won only 7.62% of the vote. She said she was "disappointed" with the result but had no regrets. MPs Jérôme Guedj (PS) and Emmanuel Maurel (Gauche républicaine et socialiste) each received just under 6%.

Incident: Glucksmann Flour-Bombed

Raphaël Glucksmann was flour-bombed on Sunday evening as he left La Cantine de Belleville in northeastern Paris, where he had gathered supporters to celebrate his primary victory. The MEP was targeted as he was getting into a taxi.

Who Is Raphaël Glucksmann?

• The 46-year-old son of philosopher André Glucksmann built his presidential ambition from the European Parliament. He has a long history with the PS, having led its European election lists in 2019 and 2024, propelled by party leader Olivier Faure — now his primary rival.
• In Brussels, he became known for his advocacy for the Uyghurs, a persecuted Muslim minority in China, and for his firm stance toward Vladimir Putin's Russia.
• He has appeared uncomfortable in electoral campaigns, facing criticism over an alleged disconnect from ordinary voters. Doubts were revived in late 2025 by a poor performance in one of the first presidential broadcasts, struggling in an exchange with a panel of French citizens and in a debate against Éric Zemmour.
• During the primary debates, he was frequently attacked by opponents who called him an "intern," accused him of wanting to move toward the center, or of staging a "hold-up" of the PS.
• To accusations of being "too Parisian" or "out of touch," Glucksmann points to his experience as a documentary filmmaker on the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda and Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" in 2004, and as an adviser to former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili from 2008 to 2012. For his presidential campaign, he promises to go "everywhere, including places where people yell at us."
• Glucksmann promises there will be no more agreements with LFI — the main point of friction with Olivier Faure. He does not hide his aversion to Jean-Luc Mélenchon, accusing him of playing with the codes of antisemitism. After the 2024 dissolution of the National Assembly, Glucksmann reluctantly consented to the New Popular Front alliance for the legislative elections, which brought together all left-wing forces, including LFI.

The Eleven Declared Left-Wing Candidates

• Nathalie Arthaud, Lutte ouvrière. The party spokesperson intends to run in her fourth presidential election, after receiving less than 1% of the vote in 2012, 2017, and 2022.
• Delphine Batho, Génération Écologie. The former ecology minister under François Hollande (2012–2013) moved from the Socialist Party to Génération Écologie in 2018.
• Karim Bouamrane, from the Socialist Party. After the 2024 dissolution, his name circulated as a potential prime minister. He is an internal opponent of PS leader Olivier Faure.
• Bernard Cazeneuve, La Convention. The former prime minister under François Hollande left the PS in 2022, disapproving of the alliance with LFI in the legislative elections.
• Raphaël Glucksmann, designated by the social-democratic left primary. The former journalist co-founded Place publique in 2018, a movement aimed at uniting the non-Mélenchonist left. He led the PS list in the 2019 and 2024 European elections.
• Anasse Kazib, Révolution permanente. The Trotskyist activist attempted to run in 2022 but failed to obtain enough endorsements to compete.
• Selma Labib, Nouveau parti anticapitaliste-Révolutionnaires. Labib is a CGT and NPA-R activist — a "revolutionary communist" formation born from a 2022 split of the NPA. She carried the party's colors in the 2024 European elections (0.15% of the vote).
• Jean-Luc Mélenchon, La France insoumise. The LFI leader announced his presidential run on May 3 on TF1, his fourth after 2012 (11.10% in the first round), 2017 (19.58%), and 2022 (21.95%). LFI refused to participate in a primary.
• Fabien Roussel, Parti communiste français. After a favorable vote by PCF members (72%), the party's national secretary confirmed his candidacy on Sunday, September 6, on TF1's evening news. In 2022, the communist received only 2.28% of the vote (approximately 802,000 votes), confirming his party's slow national decline.
• François Ruffin, Debout! A former LFI figure, Ruffin broke with the Mélenchonist movement during the 2024 legislative elections. A supporter of a unified left primary, he is not competing in the PS primary, from which he says he was excluded by Glucksmann.
• Marine Tondelier, Les Écologistes. The Green party leader was designated as the party's candidate for a unified left primary, but could run an autonomous candidacy if that vote does not take place. She faces internal challenges, with some accusing her of being closer to the PS than to LFI.