French presidential election date set.
France has just scheduled the first round of its next presidential election, expected to take place in the spring of 2027. This vote is seen by observers as a pivotal test for Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party, as incumbent President Emmanuel Macron prepares to end his final term.
According to AFP on July 1st, French voters will cast their ballots to elect a new leader on April 18th and May 2nd, 2027. This information was confirmed by an executive source and completely matches previous reports from local media.
The source also added: "The decision will be officially approved on July 1st at the Council of Ministers meeting."
According to the French constitution, the vote must be held between 20 and 35 days before President Macron's current five-year term ends.
Marine Le Pen's anti-immigrant National Rally (RN) sees next year's race as its strongest chance ever to win the leadership.
Numerous opinion polls consistently indicate that the far-right is likely to take the lead in the first round of the 2027 election. However, it remains unclear who will officially be the party's nominee.
Party leader Le Pen is hoping to run for president for the fourth time next year. She previously finished third in 2012. She then reached the second round twice in a row to face incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, who is currently serving his second and final term.
Ms. Le Pen will officially represent the Eurosceptic party in the election, with one crucial condition: that the appeals court does not rule on July 7th that she cannot hold public office. This legal case stems from allegations related to a job-fixing scandal in the European Parliament.