Raphaël Glucksmann has officially entered the race for the French presidency, announcing his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election. The move places him among an increasingly competitive field of prominent contenders and adds a Lebanese dimension to his campaign through his partner, French journalist of Lebanese descent Léa Salamé.
Glucksmann, co-president of the Place publique party and a member of the European Parliament, announced his candidacy during an interview with TF1 on August 23. He confirmed that he intends to take part in the primary elections organised by the Socialist Party and Place publique next October.
The 46-year-old presents himself as a leading figure of the pro-European social-democratic left, seeking to bring together that political camp while keeping his distance from La France Insoumise, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Glucksmann argues that the democratic left can win if it achieves a clear unity, while rejecting an alliance based on cooperation with Mélenchon.
Shortly after announcing his candidacy, Glucksmann placed environmental policy at the centre of his first campaign moves. He appeared alongside Senator and former environment minister Yannick Jadot during a visit to a wind farm in Charente-Maritime, pledging to launch “100 days of ecological revolution” if elected and placing the goal of ending dependence on oil and gas at the heart of his project.
His programme, as outlined so far, includes accelerating the development of renewable energy, expanding electrification, supporting electric vehicles, renovating buildings to improve energy efficiency, and introducing reforms in agriculture and transport. He has also proposed taxing what he describes as “large inheritances” to help fund wage increases, linking the ecological transition to reindustrialisation and the creation of jobs that cannot be outsourced abroad.
In foreign policy, Glucksmann remains a strong supporter of Ukraine and European integration, positioning himself against Russian influence and political movements critical of Europe’s support for Kyiv. In recent weeks, he has also been targeted by an online disinformation campaign. French reports said that a network allegedly linked to Russian interference circulated false information about him and his partner, Léa Salamé, prompting the Paris prosecutor’s office to open an investigation.
The aspect of particular interest to Lebanon lies in Glucksmann’s relationship with Léa Salamé, his partner of several years. She is the daughter of Lebanese diplomat and politician Ghassan Salamé, who previously served as Lebanon’s Minister of Culture and later as the United Nations Special Representative for Libya.
Following Glucksmann’s announcement, Salamé made a notable professional decision to step down from presenting the 20 heures evening news on France 2. She had previously told a parliamentary committee that she would step away from the screen if her partner became a presidential candidate. She said the decision reflected her commitment to strict professional standards and to avoiding any potential conflict of interest, while continuing to host her weekly programme, Quelle époque!.
Glucksmann still faces a long road before reaching the presidential election itself. He must first compete in the social-democratic camp’s primaries amid competition within the French left. He would then move on to the presidential race if he secures the nomination of that political camp.
In his latest campaign appearance, Glucksmann took part in an economic debate alongside several prominent figures in the presidential race, including Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, Bruno Retailleau, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Tondelier. He focused on the idea of a “new social contract” and called for higher taxes on wealth and large inheritances.
As he seeks to establish himself as a leading candidate of the social-democratic left, Glucksmann enters the race with a strong European political background and clear positions on Ukraine, energy and environmental policy. His personal connection to Lebanon through Léa Salamé, the daughter of Ghassan Salamé, also gives his candidacy a dimension that extends beyond the French political scene for Lebanese audiences
