A crowded field of presidential hopefuls in France is making the 2027 race to succeed Emmanuel Macron one of the most unpredictable in years, as the far-right Rassemblement National remains the frontrunner to reach the run-off.
Although the campaign will not begin in earnest until the autumn, politicians from across the spectrum have already begun declaring their candidacies, with a dozen already formally in the race. With continued security threats from Moscow and the EU’s fraught relationship with Washington, the direction of the bloc’s second-largest economy is being watched closely.
The choice of a successor to Macron — a staunchly pro-European, pro-business centrist in office since 2017 — will be pivotal for the EU. Marine Le Pen, a Eurosceptic who has at times sympathised with Russia, leads first-round polls on about 30 per cent alongside her lieutenant Jordan Bardella, who could run in her place.