Raphaël Glucksmann has won France’s centre-left primary outright with over 66 percent of the vote, becoming the Socialist Party’s and its allies’ candidate for next year’s presidential election. His next problem is Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is ahead of him in the polls.
Raphaël Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament, won France’s centre-left primary on Sunday, October 11, organisers said, Politico reported.
The Result
- Winner: Raphaël Glucksmann, MEP and leader of the small centre-left Place Publique party
- Share of the vote: over 66 percent, in the first round
- Beaten: Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, former minister Ségolène Royal, and lawmakers Jérôme Guedj and Emmanuel Maurel
- Turnout: more than 120,000 people voted over Friday, Saturday and Sunday
The win gives him the backing of the Socialist Party and its allies, access to Socialist Party funds and a broader base for his candidacy.
“We are here to win the presidential election: Turn the page on Macronism, stop the far right and change our lives,” he wrote online.
Questions Over the Vote
About 140,000 people were registered to vote, including 80,000 who paid €15 to take part and were not members of any of the parties running. Politico said this raised uncertainty over the outcome.
The online voting platform was hit by a cyberattack shortly after opening. Organisers said the platform “was never disrupted” and the integrity of the recorded votes was not compromised.
The Mélenchon Problem
Glucksmann, a staunch supporter of Ukraine and a critic of China, now has to catch the far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, head of France Unbowed. The latest Ifop poll gave Mélenchon 14 to 17 percent support, against 11 percent for Glucksmann.
In recent weeks Glucksmann campaigned against forming an alliance with Mélenchon. Whether the two camps compete or combine will shape the left’s chances.
What Comes Next
The presidential election is due next year. Glucksmann now has the backing of the Socialist Party and its allies, but the polls show he starts behind Mélenchon, and he has ruled out an alliance with him.
Image: Raphaël Glucksmann at the Frankfurt Book Fair, October 2017 (file photo). Photo: Harald Krichel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
