French Member of the European Parliament Raphaël Glucksmann announced his candidacy for the French presidency on Sunday during a television interview on TF1.
Speaking on the channel's 20H news show hosted by Audrey Crespo-Mara, the Place Publique leader confirmed he will enter an autumn primary organized with the Socialist Party. He pledged to support the eventual primary winner if his own bid fails, but vowed to rebuild the French left without Jean-Luc Mélenchon or his far-left movement, La France Insoumise.
Glucksmann told the broadcast that he did not take the decision to run lightly, citing the severe political challenges currently facing the country. He questioned whether voters would allow France to be handed over to National Rally leader Marine Le Pen and the far right, whom he described as servants of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Rupture with La France Insoumise
Addressing the future of left-wing politics, Glucksmann stated that if he wins the upcoming primary, there will never again be an electoral agreement with Mélenchon. He acknowledged that not everyone within the traditional Socialist Party agrees with this firm boundary, but insisted that total clarity is essential for the left to return to power in France.
Glucksmann sharply criticized Mélenchon and La France Insoumise, saying the French left must not bow down to dictators or stoke identity fevers that permanently divide society. He also referenced a recent political rally where Mélenchon mangled his Jewish surname, declaring that the left does not play games with Jewish names during campaigns and calling on supporters to stop fearing the far-left leader.
The Socialist Party and Place Publique, a center-left political group founded in 2018, are set to hold the joint primary election in the autumn. Glucksmann explained that he had always intended to fight the presidential campaign alongside his Socialist allies, arguing that the primary offers a vital opportunity to overhaul the left.
Non-traditional background and career
Reflecting on his entry into frontline politics, Glucksmann emphasized that he does not come from a conventional political mold. He noted that he did not serve as a parliamentary assistant at age 20 or work as a political party executive before entering public office.
Instead, the eurodeputy highlighted his earlier work advocating for human rights and civil society abroad, including supporting survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. He also noted his work alongside individuals resisting Russian expansionism in Georgia and later in Ukraine. He insisted that politics is neither a game nor a career for him, but a serious commitment to turn France around.
Economic and education proposals
Outlining the core policy priorities of his presidential campaign, Glucksmann stated that he intends to position himself as the candidate of ecological transformation. He criticized the current administration's handling of environmental crises, pointing to a summer in which he said nothing was prepared, organized, or anticipated by authorities.
On economic policy, Glucksmann promised to increase the net pay of French workers by introducing higher taxes on mega-inheritances. He argued that redistributing wealth from multi-million-euro estates would help fund essential state services and support working families.
His platform also includes a five-year rescue plan for the French public education system. The proposal includes raising salaries for school teachers and reducing class sizes in primary schools to improve educational standards across the country.
