By Euronews
Published on •Updated
One round was enough. French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann has won the primary of the French social-democratic camp, taking 66.17% of the vote in the first round of a contest that drew 120,787 voters, the organisers announced.
The leader of the Place publique party is far ahead of Socialist Party chief Olivier Faure, who secured 14% of the vote. Ségolène Royal, a prominent Socialist figure and former presidential candidate in 2007, who had hoped to spring a surprise, finished third with less than 8% of the vote.
The two other candidates, Jérôme Guedj and Emmanuel Maurel, each took close to 6%.
A result that “says something powerful”, according to the winner, who hailed, on X (source in French), “a left faithful to its values can unite, govern and win”.
“We are not here to win a squabble on the left. We are here to win the presidential election: turn the page on Macronism, stop the far right and change lives”, Raphaël Glucksmann added.
Turnout was a crucial issue in this primary, and with 86%, this strand of the left now hopes to build momentum.
Disrupted by a cyberattack that slowed down voting, the primary, which began on Friday morning, was extended until 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Speaking to Euronews on the second day of the primary, political journalist and left-wing specialist Rachel Garrat-Valcarcel, author of the “Blocs & Partis” newsletter, said a turnout of “at least 80%” would be needed for the primary to be considered a success.
Other political forces are already firmly in the race, notably the far right with Marine Le Pen and the radical left with Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Although not invited to take part in the primary, the latter nevertheless remained at the heart of the televised debates that preceded this weekend’s vote, amid discussions over an alliance with La France insoumise in the legislative elections and disagreements about possible support for the LFI candidate in the second round, should the centre-left fail to reach it.