France Sets April 18, May 2 As Dates For 2027 Presidential Election, Macron Ineligible To Run

Last Updated:July 01, 2026, 19:06 IST

France sets its 2027 presidential election dates; Macron is term limited, early contenders include Jordan Bardella, Bruno Retailleau, Edouard Philippe and Jean-Luc Melenchom

France will hold its next presidential election on April 18 and May 2, 2027, a source in the executive branch confirmed to Le Monde on Wednesday. Ouest-France first reported the dates.

The government chose this timetable over an alternative that would have moved the vote a week earlier, to April 11 and 25.

Constitutional Window

Under the French Constitution, a presidential election must fall between 20 and 35 days before the incumbent’s term expires. President Emmanuel Macron began his second five-year term on 14 May 2022, which put both sets of dates within the constitutionally permitted range. The executive branch settled on the later option.

Macron will not appear on the ballot. Having served two consecutive terms, he is constitutionally barred from standing again, leaving the race without an incumbent for the first time since 2017.

Playing Field Already Taking Shape

Although campaigning has not formally opened, several parties have moved early. Les Républicains leader Bruno Retailleau, a former interior minister, has declared his candidacy, according to AFP.

National Rally’s Jordan Bardella currently leads opinion polls, AFP reported, with his path to candidacy tied to a Paris Court of Appeal ruling due on 7 July on Marine Le Pen’s embezzlement conviction, which carries a five-year ban from public office.

Former prime minister Édouard Philippe, mayor of Le Havre, has said he will run, AFP reported. Fellow former prime minister Gabriel Attal has yet to declare.

On the left, La France Insoumise’s Jean-Luc Mélenchon is expected to mount a fourth presidential bid, while Socialist mayor Karim Bouamrane’s declared candidacy brought the confirmed field to 18 names, according to Connexion France.

The election will follow France’s standard two-round system. If no candidate wins an outright majority on April 18, the top two finishers advance to the run-off on May 2.

About the Author

Anoshito Banerjee

Anoshito Banerjee is a digital journalist at CNN-News18, specialising in Indian foreign policy, global diplomacy, South and West Asian geopolitics, and strategic affairs. His reporting spans hard news...Read More

News world France Sets April 18, May 2 As Dates For 2027 Presidential Election, Macron Ineligible To Run

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