French Socialist Party selects closed primary for 2027 presidential candidate

Members of France’s Socialist Party voted on Thursday night to decide how their candidate for the 2027 presidential election will be chosen. A proposal for a closed primary – limited to party militants and allied organisations such as Place Publique – won with 55.5% of the votes, while the alternative of an open primary for all left‑wing sympathisers received 44.5%.

The result marks a defeat for party first secretary Olivier Faure, who had advocated an open primary that could attract up to 600,000 supporters for a “game‑changing” selection process. Opponents led by deputy‑group leader Boris Vallaud praised the vote as a “very clear choice” and called on Faure to adapt his approach. The Socialist Party announced that the closed primary will be held in October, after which the winner may still be able to join a broader left‑wing primary, though prospects for a unified left ticket have dimmed.

Faure stated he respects the decision and will not resign, while Ecologist leader Marine Tondelier warned that the move “buries the prospect of a common left primary.” The internal contest sets the stage for the upcoming presidential campaign and for negotiations among the French left’s various factions.