France announces 2027 presidential election dates amid legal probe of National Rally

France confirmed that the first round of its 2027 presidential election will be held on 18 April, with a runoff on 2 May, as President Emmanuel Macron's second term ends on 13 May and he is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term. The field includes former prime ministers Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, left‑wing leader Jean‑Luc Mélenchon, and the far‑right National Rally (RN) candidate Jordan Bardella, who is currently leading in polls – up to 37 % in first‑round scenarios and 53 % in a head‑to‑head second‑round test against Philippe. Marine Le Pen’s candidacy remains uncertain pending a court ruling on a five‑year ban related to a 2025 embezzlement conviction.

Simultaneously, investigators from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office conducted raids on communications service providers in France, Belgium, Italy and Spain as part of a probe into alleged misuse of European Parliament funds by the RN between 2019 and 2024. The probe targets €4.33 million in contracts, including €3.6 million awarded without competition. Bardella has not been charged and has dismissed the timing as politically motivated. The anti‑corruption group Anticor also alleges that Bardella held a fictitious parliamentary assistant position in 2015, a claim the RN denies.