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French Left Divided as PS Pushes Two‑Stage Primary and Glucksmann Says No

The vote will decide whether non‑Mélenchon parties adopt a layered selection process that could produce a single challenger to the far right.

Overview

  • PS leader Olivier Faure has proposed putting a two‑step primary to a militants' vote by 9 July to first pick a social‑democratic nominee and then hold a broader left‑wide primary.
  • Raphaël Glucksmann and his team have publicly rejected the double‑primary idea and say he will decide by the end of August whether to enter the race.
  • Key figures inside the PS, including Boris Vallaud and former president François Hollande, have expressed scepticism about the two‑stage plan and it faces strong opposition within the party.
  • Jean‑Luc Mélenchon has publicly criticised Glucksmann's outlook this week and national polls place the two men close to each other among left‑of‑centre voters.
  • The dispute risks leaving the anti‑far‑right left fragmented ahead of 2027 because militants must choose a nomination method by early July and continued division could hand an advantage to extreme‑right candidates.