Raphaël Glucksmann is about to take the plunge. The MEP and co-president of Place Publique will be a guest on TF1's 20 p.m. news program this Sunday, August 23. This highly anticipated appearance is expected to officially announce his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election. This announcement will likely have an immediate impact on the media landscape: his partner, Léa Salamé, who was scheduled to return to the France 2 20 p.m. news on Monday evening, will now have to step back from her regular duties.
Raphaël Glucksmann expected on TF1's 20 PM news
TF1 has officially announced that Raphaël Glucksmann will appear on its 20 PM news program this Sunday. The MEP will be interviewed by Audrey Crespo-Mara. Barring any last-minute changes, he is expected to use this platform to confirm his intention to run in the 2027 presidential election. This declaration would end months of speculation surrounding the national ambitions of the leader of Place Publique. Last May, Raphaël Glucksmann gave himself three months to try to build a candidacy within the social-democratic movement. At 46, the man who led the Socialist Party-Place Publique list in the 2024 European elections now intends to enter the race for the Élysée Palace. In those European elections, his list garnered 13,8% of the vote.
A primary with the Socialist Party in October
Before the presidential election, Raphaël Glucksmann is expected to participate in a primary organized with the Socialist Party. This primary will select a candidate from the social-democratic spectrum. The Socialist Party and Place Publique still need to finalize several details of this consultation, including the conditions for participation by non-member voters and the sponsorship rules for candidates. Several prominent Socialist figures have already expressed interest in this competition. Ségolène Royal, Philippe Brun, and Jérôme Guedj are among the names mentioned, while a candidacy from the Socialist Party's First Secretary, Olivier Faure, also remains a possibility. Raphaël Glucksmann appears to be one of the leading contenders in this primary. The latest polls published in July placed him at around 10 to 12% of voting intentions in the first round of the presidential election.
Glucksmann still refuses a primary with the entire left
This social-democratic primary stands apart from the broader project of uniting a segment of the left. Raphaël Glucksmann had refused to participate in a consultation encompassing the entire non-Mélenchonist left, which could have included figures such as François Ruffin, Clémentine Autain, and Marine Tondelier. The leader of Place Publique favors a candidacy built around social democracy and has been openly acknowledging his profound disagreements with La France Insoumise for several months. The timing further intensifies the political confrontation: Raphaël Glucksmann's expected announcement is scheduled for the same day as Jean-Luc Mélenchon 's closing speech at La France Insoumise's summer school.
Léa Salamé was scheduled to resume presenting the 20 PM news on France 2 on Monday
Raphaël Glucksmann's candidacy would also have an immediate consequence for France Télévisions. His partner, Léa Salamé, was scheduled to return to anchor the 20 p.m. news on France 2 on Monday, August 24, after the summer break. This return is now unlikely to happen. If Raphaël Glucksmann confirms his presidential candidacy on Sunday evening, the journalist is expected to step back from presenting the news during the campaign to avoid any situation that could raise questions of impartiality. This situation is not entirely unprecedented. In 2019, when Raphaël Glucksmann ran in the European elections, Léa Salamé had already chosen to temporarily withdraw from her political programs.
Jean-Baptiste Marteau is expected to take over the reins of the newspaper
France 2 already has a solution in place to ensure the continuity of its 20 PM newscast. Jean-Baptiste Marteau, who presented the news during the summer and regularly fills in, is expected to continue presenting in place of Léa Salamé. The journalist could therefore extend his tenure at the helm of the France 2 news program starting Monday, even though the regular anchor's return was initially planned. For Léa Salamé, however, the future at France Télévisions might not necessarily be limited to a complete withdrawal from broadcasting. Other projects could be offered to her, but presenting a major political news program while her partner is running a presidential campaign now seems unlikely. Everything now depends on Raphaël Glucksmann's announcement. It is expected this Sunday evening, live on TF1's 20 PM newscast.
