The 2026 United Left primary is a proposed primary election in France scheduled for 11 October 2026, which aims to select a joint candidate for the 2027 French presidential election from L'Après, Les Écologistes and Debout!. The Socialist Party (PS) and Place Publique are competing in a separate primary. La France Insoumise and the French Communist Party also will not participate.
History
Origins The primary was jointly initiated by Marine Tondelier, the national secretary of the Ecologists, Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party, Lucie Castets, the New Popular Front's candidate for Prime Minister in 2024, François Ruffin, the national coordinator of Debout!, and Clémentine Autain, one of the co-founders of L'Après, on 15 November 2025.
Participation This primary is not unanimously supported by the participants of the New Popular Front (the left-wing coalition for the 2024 legislative elections):
Les Écologistes, L'Après and Debout! have confirmed their participation. The PS was divided on the issue of its participation. PS First Secretary Olivier Faure has committed to an internal consultation after the 2026 municipal elections. In February, the president of the Socialist group in the National Assembly, Boris Vallaud, took a stand against the primary. The party ultimately chose to hold its own, separate primary. The French Communist Party (PCF) will decide on its strategy for the presidential election in July at its congress. In February, Léon Deffontaines, spokesperson for the PCF, stated: ‘We are preparing to field our own candidate who will not go through the primary’. La France Insoumise and Place Publique announced from the outset that they would not participate. Place Publique is participating in the Socialists' primary.
Procedure The primary election is scheduled for 11 October 2026 and will be held in person and online. A polling station will be set up in each canton of metropolitan France and in the overseas departments and regions. To be a candidate, one must obtain 500 signatures from mayors and elected officials (who can sponsor 2 to 3 candidates) "as for the presidential election".
Candidates +CandidatePartyPolitical office(s)Campaign and sloganFrançois Ruffin (50)Debout! President of Debout! (since 2025) Deputy for Somme's 1st constituency (since 2017)Marine Tondelier (39) Les Écologistes National Secretary of the Ecologists (since 2022) Municipal Councillor of Hénin-Beaumont (since 2014) Regional Councillor of Hauts-de-France (since 2021)
Internal Designations
Les Écologistes On 8 December 2025, members of Les Écologistes (The Ecologists) chose Marine Tondelier, the party's secretary general, to represent them in a left-wing primary.
Candidates%Marine Tondelier86%Waleed Mouhali14%
Opinion polling In a poll conducted by Ipsos on 4–5 February 2026, 78% of left-wing supporters were in favour of holding a primary election.
References