France's CFDT union refuses 2027 presidential talks with far-right National Rally

Far-right boycott and the cordon sanitaire

The French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT) announced on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, that it will not engage with far-right candidates during the 2027 presidential campaign. Speaking on RTL radio, Secretary General Marylise Léon confirmed that the union maintains its cordon sanitaire, refusing any bilateral meetings or debates with National Rally candidate Marine Le Pen. The union leader stated that the National Rally cannot be treated as an ordinary party because it systematically promotes national preference policies. She expressed concern that far-right concepts are gradually infiltrating the workplace, creating division and stigmatisation among workers. The CFDT confirmed it remains open to discussions with other presidential contenders across the political spectrum.

The CFDT has an extremely clear line on the fact that it does not speak to extreme-right candidates, even if a large part of the population may consider that its ideas are acceptable or that it is a party like any other.

Inheritance tax and deficit reduction

Beyond election engagement rules, Léon outlined the union's fiscal platform intended to reduce France's public deficit to 5% of gross domestic product by 2027. The central economic proposal involves taxing all inheritances starting from the first euro at a symbolic rate of 1%. Under existing French tax legislation, heirs benefit from an allowance of 100,000 euros per child and per parent before duties apply. Léon described the reform as a necessary measure of social and fiscal justice, asking whether political figures will have the resolve to back the overhaul even if it unsettles parts of their electorate. Research from the Conseil d'analyse économique indicates that the wealthiest 1% of heirs receive an average of more than 4.2 million euros net of duties, while the top 0.1% receive approximately 13 million euros.

Pension contributions and campaign context

The CFDT also advocated for fiscal contributions from wealthier retirees through the de-indexation of higher pension payouts, without specifying an exact income threshold. The position builds on earlier union stances during retirement negotiations, where the leadership supported targeted contributions from high earners rather than uniform adjustments. The fiscal proposal arrives as several political platforms begin taking shape ahead of the 2027 vote, where at least 23 candidates have announced bids according to a tally by Le Parisien. Raphaël Glucksmann, running in the primary organized by Place publique and the Socialist Party, has separately proposed a tax on large estates. Former Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire noted in February 2022 Senate testimony that two-thirds of successions in France currently pay no inheritance tax.

In the event of a victory, we will see. In the meantime, we are fighting against these ideas of the extreme right that infiltrate the world of work.

Union precedent and political trajectory

The boycott of the National Rally follows established CFDT positions in national elections. During the 2024 legislative elections, the organisation called on its members to vote for any candidate opposing the far right. In the 2022 presidential runoff, the union explicitly urged voters to mobilize against Marine Le Pen by supporting Emmanuel Macron, while clarifying that the vote did not constitute an endorsement of Macron's record or platform. Recent polling conducted by Harris Interactive placed Le Pen ahead with more than 35% of first-round voting intentions, followed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France Insoumise at 16% to 17% and Édouard Philippe of Horizons at 14% to 19%. Léon emphasized that while polling currently favors the National Rally, the final election outcome remains unwritten.