Presidential Election 2027: Who Is Mira Markovic, the Candidate Who Wants to Defend Animals at the Élysée?

At 48 years old, Mira Markovic intends to make animal welfare a major issue in the 2027 presidential election. Co-founder of the Animalist Party, former psychologist and ex-adviser to Paris, this Franco-Serbian activist was designated as a candidate on October 2, 2026. Little known to the general public, she defends a candidacy that aims to be independent of the traditional left-right divide. But before she can participate in the election, she must overcome a decisive obstacle: obtaining the 500 necessary endorsements.

Mira Douchka Markovic is not new to political activism. Born to a French mother and a Serbian father, she grew up in Île-de-France in an environment where animal issues already held an important place. She recounts being deeply marked during her childhood by the discovery of intensive farming within her paternal family. This experience helped shape her commitment to animal protection. Graduated in psychology, she worked for more than seventeen years in the medico-social sector and in training, notably with people in precarious situations and refugees. A professional background she now highlights to show that her commitment is not limited to environmental issues.

Her political career began long before this presidential candidacy. In 2010, she joined Europe Ecology – The Greens, where she notably participated in the creation of a commission dedicated to animal welfare. But she eventually distanced herself from the movement, considering that animal protection did not occupy a sufficiently important place there. In 2016, she took part in founding the Animalist Party alongside Hélène Thouy and other activists. A member of its leadership since its creation, she also held elected responsibilities in Paris, in the 18th arrondissement and then on the Paris Council, between 2014 and 2020. This municipal experience allowed her to advocate for measures related to animal welfare within local institutions.

A candidate who rejects the left-right divide

Unlike the main personalities engaged in the race for the Élysée, Mira Markovic does not seek to place her candidacy within a traditional political family. The Animalist Party claims a transpartisan orientation and focuses its action on the place granted to animals in society. Among the main proposals defended are the creation of an independent Ministry of Animal Welfare, the gradual phasing out of intensive farming, the ban on bullfighting and hunting, as well as an evolution of the legal status of animals. The party also wants their protection to be integrated into emergency rescue plans, notably during fires and natural disasters. These orientations form the foundation of her commitment, even though her full presidential program has not yet been presented.

The candidate also embraces the particular dimension of her approach. During her official presentation, she acknowledged carrying a testimonial candidacy, primarily intended to give political visibility to the animal cause. Her party believes that the main French parties do not sufficiently take this issue into account in their programs. Created in 2016, the movement notably obtained 2.16% of the vote in the 2019 European elections, a result that allowed it to gain some national visibility. It also participated in the 2024 European elections and the 2026 municipal elections. For Mira Markovic, the goal is now to take advantage of the attention given to the presidential election to challenge other candidates on their commitments regarding animal protection.

The challenge of 500 endorsements before the presidential election

The main difficulty for Mira Markovic remains institutional. To officially appear among the candidates in the presidential election, she must collect 500 endorsements from elected officials meeting the conditions set by the Constitutional Council. This step had already prevented Hélène Thouy, the candidate designated by the Animalist Party in 2022, from participating in the first round. Mira Markovic states she has begun soliciting elected officials to gather the necessary signatures. The task promises to be demanding for a party that does not have the same territorial network as the major political parties. The candidate will also have to make her background and proposals known in a campaign where economic, social, security, and international issues traditionally occupy an important place.

With this candidacy, the Animalist Party attempts to transform an activist cause into a subject of presidential debate. Mira Markovic has associative, professional, and municipal experience but has never held governmental responsibilities. Her project remains mainly focused on animal welfare, and her detailed positions on issues such as pensions, taxation, defense, or immigration are not yet all known. This absence of a complete general program constitutes one of the current limits of her candidacy. A few months before the 2027 presidential election, the Franco-Serbian will therefore have to meet two challenges: convince enough elected officials to access the ballot and demonstrate how her proposals could fit into a broader national policy. Her immediate ambition is to make a voice rarely represented in French presidential campaigns heard.