A former interior minister of France who heads the country’s conservative party, Les Républicans (LR), Bruno Retailleau, announced on Thursday, February 12, that he will run in the 2027 presidential election, in a message shared with his party members.
“It’s a decision I have thought through carefully,” Retailleau said. “The time has come for my political family to show the French a new path, focused on order, prosperity and French pride.” Retailleau, 65, is the latest heavyweight to join the race, in which current President Emmanuel Macron will not be running, having reached his two-term limit.
“I’m ready to lead this project, but this adventure can only be a collective one,” the LR leader wrote. “I need you – your support and your personal involvement in a campaign that must first bring together our political family, its members and its sympathizers.” Retailleau, who stepped down as interior minister in October, is expected to publish a statement on social media later Thursday before appearing on the national television channel TF1.
Crowded race
A poll last month found that Retailleau was the most popular possible right-wing candidate among supporters of his camp. Centrist ex-prime minister Edouard Philippe, 55, has also said he would be running.
An appeals court ruling on the embezzlement case involving Marine Le Pen is expected on July 7, which will determine whether the three-time presidential candidate can stand in the election. If it upholds her ban from office, she has said her lieutenant, Jordan Bardella, 30, would take her place.
