The 2027 French presidential candidates explained

France's presidential election will be held on 18 April 2027 (first round) and 2 May 2027 (second round): the government announced these dates at the Council of Ministers on 1 July 2026, and the decree calling the election has not yet been published. The President is elected for five years by an absolute majority of valid votes; if nobody wins one in the first round, the two leading candidates face each other fourteen days later. Emmanuel Macron, elected in 2017 and 2022, cannot run again: the Constitution bars more than two consecutive terms. To appear on the official list, each candidate needs at least 500 sponsorships ("parrainages") from elected officials in at least 30 departments or overseas territories. The Constitutional Council is due to publish the list around 16 March 2027.

The test covers eleven candidates: people who have declared their candidacy or been chosen by their party and who meet one of the entry criteria described in our methodology. The list will change: others may declare, some may withdraw, and once the official list is published the test will include all the official candidates and only them. Two candidacies already depend on a known date: members of Les Écologistes will vote from 10 to 13 December 2026 on whether to keep Marine Tondelier as their candidate or back another left-wing candidate, and Marine Le Pen has appealed to the Court of Cassation (see her profile below).

This article does not quote any opinion poll. The only electoral figures are the official results of previous presidential elections, as proclaimed by the Constitutional Council. The candidates are listed in alphabetical order, each with the same structure.

The eleven candidates at a glance

Past results come from the Constitutional Council's decisions; percentages are calculated on valid votes. Each candidate's political tradition is the one on their profile on this site. On the compass, −100 means left or progressive and +100 means right or conservative; each position is our calculation from the candidate's positions on the test statements, the same as on the political compass page. The match percentage under each candidate shows how similarly two candidates answer the test's 46 statements. Of the 506 positions involved, 70 are estimated because the candidate has not addressed the question directly; David Lisnard (12), Édouard Philippe (10) and Raphaël Glucksmann (9) have the most. All figures are as of 19 October 2026.

Gabriel Attal

Secretary-general of Renaissance since December 2024 and leader of the Ensemble pour la République group in the National Assembly, Gabriel Attal has been an MP for Hauts-de-Seine since 2017. He was government spokesman, junior minister for public accounts and then education minister, before serving as Prime Minister from January to September 2024. Endorsed by Renaissance's national council, he declared his candidacy on 22 May 2026 in Mur-de-Barrez (Aveyron). It is his first presidential run. He and Édouard Philippe both say they want their camp to unite by early 2027, and for now each is keeping his candidacy.

What he proposes: €150 billion of savings over the five-year term, with no tax rises (interview in Le Parisien, July 2026); abolishing the legal retirement age and keeping only the contribution period (RTL, June 2026); 14 new EPR reactors, aiming for one a year (plan of 23 September 2026); a "United States of Europe" and France as a "European nuclear umbrella", with the decision staying French (Reims speech, September 2026).

In the test: his positions match Édouard Philippe's the most (86%) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon's the least (41%). Candidate page: Gabriel Attal

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan leads Debout la France, a party that claims the Gaullist tradition and that he founded within the RPR under the name Debout la République. Mayor of Yerres (Essonne) from 1995 to 2017, and again since the 2026 local elections, he was an MP for Essonne from 1997 to 2024. On 8 March 2025 he announced his fourth presidential run, after 2012 (1.79%, seventh), 2017 (4.70%, sixth) and 2022 (2.06%, ninth).

What he proposes: leaving the European Union, by referendum, as the first plank of his campaign (back-to-school speech, September 2026); leaving NATO's integrated military command (Debout la France platform); a citizens' initiative referendum triggered by one million signatures (Debout la France platform); €10,000 paid into a sovereign fund for every newborn, to guarantee a minimum pension at 60 (back-to-school speech, September 2026).

In the test: his positions match Marine Le Pen's the most (86%) and Marine Tondelier's the least (37%). Candidate page: Nicolas Dupont-Aignan

Raphaël Glucksmann

Co-founder in 2018 and co-leader of Place publique, Raphaël Glucksmann has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2019 (Socialists and Democrats group). A former documentary maker, he led the joint Socialist Party and Place publique list in the 2019 and 2024 European elections. He declared on 23 August 2026 and on 11 October won the primary of the Socialist Party, Place publique and the Gauche républicaine et socialiste, with 66.17% of the vote; Les Écologistes and La France insoumise do not back him. He has never run for president. His programme is still being drafted: his positions are based mainly on Place publique's platform of March 2026.

What he proposes: repealing the 2023 pension reform (Place publique platform, p. 43); raising the minimum wage (SMIC) to €1,600 net a month within two years (p. 40); "drastically" increasing military aid to Ukraine (p. 11); bringing in proportional representation for parliamentary elections "immediately" (p. 46).

In the test: his positions match Marine Tondelier's the most (81%) and Éric Zemmour's the least (42%). Candidate page: Raphaël Glucksmann

Marine Le Pen

A member of the National Assembly for Pas-de-Calais since 2017, Marine Le Pen chairs the Rassemblement National group. She led the Front National, renamed RN, from 2011 to 2021, and sat in the European Parliament from 2004 to 2017. Third in the 2012 presidential election (17.90%), she reached the run-off in 2017 and 2022 and lost both times to Emmanuel Macron (33.90% and 41.45%). She confirmed her candidacy on 7 July 2026, the day the Paris Court of Appeal upheld her conviction in the case of the FN's European Parliament assistants while cutting her unsuspended ban from office to fifteen months, already served; she has appealed to the Court of Cassation. Éric Ciotti, leader of the UDR and an ally of the RN, was at her side when she presented her economic plan on 6 October 2026.

What she proposes: a referendum on immigration within six months of the election (2022 manifesto, p. 8); "national priority" for French citizens in access to social housing and jobs (2022 programme, p. 2); bringing the legal retirement age back to 62, and to 60 for those who started work before 20 (LCP, September 2026); lower VAT on gas, electricity and motor fuel (RN group's counter-budget, p. 4).

In the test: her positions match Nicolas Dupont-Aignan's the most (86%) and Marine Tondelier's the least (44%). Candidate page: Marine Le Pen

David Lisnard

Mayor of Cannes since 2014 and president of the Association of French Mayors since 2021, David Lisnard founded and leads the Nouvelle Énergie movement. A former member of the RPR and the UMP, he was vice-president of Les Républicains, which he left on 31 March 2026, confirming his candidacy the same day; he had called for an open primary of the right and centre. He has never been an MP or a minister, and this is his first presidential run.

What he proposes: €200 billion of cuts in public spending, with taxes cut only after spending (back-to-school speech, August 2026); a legal retirement age of 65, with about 40% of pensions funded through investment (capitalisation) (Nouvelle Énergie programme); abolishing State Medical Aid (AME) for undocumented migrants and replacing it with emergency care (programme, "Immigration"); a return to a seven-year presidential term (Bayeux speech, June 2026, p. 8).

In the test: his positions match Bruno Retailleau's the most (88%) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon's the least (38%). Candidate page: David Lisnard

Jean-Luc Mélenchon

Founder of La France insoumise in 2016, Jean-Luc Mélenchon has been a senator for Essonne, junior minister for vocational education (2000–2002), a Member of the European Parliament (2009–2017) and an MP for Bouches-du-Rhône (2017–2022). He announced his fourth candidacy on 3 May 2026 on TF1, after a vote of LFI's elected officials. He ran in 2012 (11.10%, fourth), 2017 (19.58%, fourth) and 2022 (21.95%, third), without reaching the run-off. A new edition of his programme, "L'Avenir en commun", is due on 6 November 2026.

What he proposes: a minimum wage (SMIC) of €1,700 net a month (October 2026 plan, p. 9); repealing retirement at 64 as a "first step towards a return to retirement at 60 with 40 years of contributions" (p. 11); bringing back a stronger wealth tax (p. 13); a constituent assembly to move to a Sixth Republic (L'Avenir en commun, ch. 1).

In the test: his positions match Fabien Roussel's the most (83%) and Bruno Retailleau's the least (33%). Candidate page: Jean-Luc Mélenchon

Édouard Philippe

Mayor of Le Havre and president of Le Havre Seine Métropole, Édouard Philippe founded the Horizons party in 2021 and has announced he would step down as its executive president on 1 October 2026. A former member of the UMP and then Les Républicains, he was an MP for Seine-Maritime from 2012 to 2017 and Emmanuel Macron's Prime Minister from May 2017 to July 2020. He announced his candidacy in Le Point on 3 September 2024 and launched his campaign in Paris on 5 July 2026. It is his first presidential run. Like Gabriel Attal, he says he wants their camp to unite by early 2027.

What he proposes: raising the retirement age to 65 and the contribution period to 45 years within ten years (priorities, "For a more prosperous France"); halving immigration and suspending family reunification for the five-year term (priorities, "For a safer France"); launching eight EPR reactors on top of the six already planned (priorities, "For a more ambitious France"); writing a balanced-budget rule into the Constitution by referendum and bringing the deficit down to 2% of GDP by the end of the term (priorities, "For a more prosperous France").

In the test: his positions match Gabriel Attal's the most (86%) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon's the least (36%). Candidate page: Édouard Philippe

Bruno Retailleau

Leader of Les Républicains since May 2025 and a senator for Vendée, Bruno Retailleau was interior minister from 2024 to 2025 in the Barnier, Bayrou and Lecornu governments. He previously led the LR group in the Senate from 2014 to 2024 and the Pays de la Loire region from 2015 to 2017. He declared on 12 February 2026 and was chosen as candidate by LR members on 19 April 2026, with 73.8% of the vote. It is his first presidential run.

What he proposes: a plan for €197 billion of savings over five years, of which €56 billion would be returned as tax cuts (Public Sénat, 12 October 2026); a legal retirement age "beyond 64", linked to healthy life expectancy (LCP, September 2026); "abolishing birthright citizenship" in a "charter of republican order" to be put to a referendum in 2027 (interview in Le Figaro, September 2026); restricting free movement in the Schengen area to Europeans (interview in the JDD, August 2026).

In the test: his positions match David Lisnard's the most (88%) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon's the least (33%). Candidate page: Bruno Retailleau

Fabien Roussel

National secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF) since 2018, re-elected in July 2026, Fabien Roussel has been mayor of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux (Nord) since 2025. A former journalist, he was an MP for Nord from 2017 to 2024. As the PCF candidate in 2022 he won 2.28% in the first round (eighth). Communist members chose him on 6 September 2026, with 72% of the vote. His 2027 programme has not yet been published: his positions are based on PCF texts and his 2022 programme.

What he proposes: retirement "from 60 on a full pension" (PCF 40th congress text, p. 15); "leaving NATO immediately" (same text, p. 8); twenty new nuclear power plants as part of a "pact for France" (franceinfo, August 2025); regularising undocumented workers (40th congress text, p. 11).

In the test: his positions match Jean-Luc Mélenchon's the most (83%) and Édouard Philippe's and Bruno Retailleau's the least (46% each). Candidate page: Fabien Roussel

Marine Tondelier

National secretary of Les Écologistes (formerly EELV) since 2022, re-elected in 2025, Marine Tondelier has been a regional councillor for Hauts-de-France since 2021. An opposition councillor in Hénin-Beaumont (Pas-de-Calais) from 2014, she helped set up the Nouveau Front populaire in 2024. Chosen on 8 December 2025 by 86% of members for a left-wing primary that never took place, she remains the candidate until the members' vote of 10–13 December 2026, which will decide between her candidacy and backing another left-wing candidate. She has never run for president.

What she proposes: a 2% "Zucman tax" on fortunes above €100 million and bringing back the wealth tax (ISF) with a climate component (Les Écologistes programme, p. 66); returning "immediately" to a minimum retirement age of 62 and aiming for 60 (p. 116); "planning the exit from nuclear power" and ending the EPR-2 and SMR programmes (p. 17); replacing national vetoes in the European Union with qualified majority voting (p. 190).

In the test: her positions match Raphaël Glucksmann's the most (81%) and Éric Zemmour's the least (31%). Candidate page: Marine Tondelier

Éric Zemmour

Founder and leader of Reconquête, Éric Zemmour has been a political journalist at Le Figaro, an essayist and a radio and television commentator. He holds no elected office. He ran in 2022 and finished fourth in the first round with 7.07% of the vote. He announced his candidacy on 17 September 2026 on BFMTV, saying a formal declaration would follow in the autumn; he, and not MEP Sarah Knafo, will be Reconquête's candidate.

What he proposes: abolishing birthright citizenship (2022 programme, p. 8); being able to deport a legally resident foreigner after a year of unemployment (Public Sénat, September 2026); banning the Islamic headscarf in all public spaces (2022 programme, p. 10); the plan for €140 billion a year of spending cuts presented by his party, with 800,000 fewer civil service posts over five years (BFMTV, September 2026).

In the test: his positions match Marine Le Pen's the most (84%) and Marine Tondelier's the least (31%). Candidate page: Éric Zemmour

The main dividing lines

The political compass places the candidates on two axes (the exact values are in the table above). The economic axis (left–right) is based on 15 statements on the economy and taxes, pensions, work and the cost of living, and health. The social axis (progressive–conservative) is based on 20 statements on immigration, security and justice, education, energy and climate, and society and secularism. The 11 statements on Europe, foreign affairs and defence, and institutions do not count towards the compass.

On the economy Jean-Luc Mélenchon is furthest to the left (−86.7) and Édouard Philippe furthest to the right (+76.7); on the social axis Éric Zemmour is the most conservative (+80.0) and Marine Tondelier the most progressive (−80.0). Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Fabien Roussel, Marine Tondelier and Raphaël Glucksmann are left-wing and progressive. Marine Le Pen and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan are slightly left of centre on the economy and clearly conservative. Éric Zemmour, Bruno Retailleau, David Lisnard and, less markedly, Édouard Philippe are right-wing and conservative. Gabriel Attal is right-wing on the economy and almost in the middle of the social axis (−2.5). What puts each candidate in that place is explained in "Who is left and who is right".

The same lines show up in the candidates' proposals:

• Pensions: Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Fabien Roussel, Marine Tondelier and Marine Le Pen strongly agree with going back to a legal retirement age of 62 or lower, and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan and Raphaël Glucksmann agree; Gabriel Attal, David Lisnard, Édouard Philippe, Bruno Retailleau and Éric Zemmour strongly disagree. The detail, candidate by candidate, is in "The candidates and pensions".
• Birthright citizenship: Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Marine Le Pen, Bruno Retailleau and Éric Zemmour want to abolish it, and David Lisnard agrees; the other six candidates are against.
• Nuclear power: nine candidates want to build new reactors; Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Tondelier strongly disagree.
• Europe and defence: only Nicolas Dupont-Aignan wants to leave the European Union. Five candidates want to leave NATO's integrated command: Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Fabien Roussel and Éric Zemmour. Six want to keep providing military aid to Ukraine; Marine Le Pen and Fabien Roussel are neutral, and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Éric Zemmour are against.

Where the eleven candidates agree and disagree is covered in "What the candidates agree on".

How to compare the candidates

Every position of each candidate on the test statements, with its source, is on the candidate pages, and all eleven side by side are in the candidate comparison. You can also compare two candidates, for example Marine Le Pen and Éric Zemmour or Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Raphaël Glucksmann. The timetable, sponsorships and ways to vote are in the 2027 presidential election guide.

To find out which candidate is closest to your views, take the test. It compares your answers with the same positions used to calculate the matches and the compass in this article.