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French politician Raphael Glucksmann, leader of the centre-left Place Publique party, speaks with residents affected by wildfires in Jonquières, southwestern France, on the 12th (local time). / AFP-Yonhap

Raphaël Glucksmann, leader of France's centre-left party Place Publique, officially declared his candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election on the 23rd (local time), Le Monde reported.

Amid the far right's rising popularity and continued fragmentation within the left, a full-fledged battle for leadership is expected to unfold between Glucksmann and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the hard-left party La France Insoumise (LFI).

Appearing on French broadcaster TF1 that day, Glucksmann confirmed his intent to run for president, expressing his commitment to blocking a far-right government from taking power and defending liberal democratic values.

He said, "The left can win if it stays true to its principles," stressing the need for the centre-left to unite.

Glucksmann led a mainstream leftist coalition, including the Socialist Party, to a 14% share of the vote in the 2024 European Parliament elections, but currently trails Mélenchon in presidential polling.

He has also been critical of President Emmanuel Macron's pro-business policies, while maintaining a similar stance on foreign policy issues such as pro-European and pro-Ukraine positions.

Current presidential polling shows far-right National Rally (RN) lawmaker Marine Le Pen consistently leading in first-round voting intentions.

Within the left, Mélenchon currently leads in polling, and attention is on whether Glucksmann can consolidate support from the fractured centre-left to become competitive in a potential runoff.

Meanwhile, Glucksmann's partner, Léa Salamé, lead anchor at French public broadcaster France 2, is reported to be stepping down from her anchor position during the presidential campaign period to ensure fairness in election coverage and avoid conflict-of-interest concerns.

                                                                                                          Lee Jeong-eun