Leaked Glucksmann remarks on Mélenchon and Royal rattle French left primary

Leaked footage before the final debate

Video recordings of private conversations involving French MEP and left-wing presidential primary candidate Raphaël Glucksmann circulated across social media following their publication by the left-leaning outlet Le Média. Filmed on 17 September 2026 during an exchange with political activists, the footage shows Glucksmann seated next to Boris Vallaud, the president of the Socialist group in the French National Assembly. Le Média published the excerpts on 2 October 2026, the day before the candidates prepared for their final televised primary debate. Solicitated for a response on Saturday evening, representatives for the Place publique candidate declined to provide any official comment regarding the clips.

Remarks on economic debates and Mélenchon

In the first video segment, Glucksmann debriefed the business forum organized by the employer federation Medef on 27 August 2026, an event attended by seven presidential hopefuls including Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Glucksmann told activists that both rivals were completely lost on economic matters and claimed Mélenchon had a lost look in his eyes during the event. He argued that Le Pen introduced the topic of the veil while Mélenchon retaliated with the abaya, asserting that both reacted symmetrically and stating that he would dismiss both rather than engage. Mélenchon responded on Saturday on X, recalling that Glucksmann had previously claimed he would fold him in political debate.

We see how he adopts the method of nuance that he recommends and the refusal of the brutalization of debate that he proclaims.

Mélenchon also challenged the broader strategy of Glucksmann's allies, questioning whether the Socialist Party intended to spend another seven months preparing an alignment with the center-right.

Clash with primary rival Ségolène Royal

In the second recording, Glucksmann directed sharp criticism at his primary opponent Ségolène Royal, accusing her of having performed a belly dance for President Emmanuel Macron over recent years. Glucksmann contrasted her trajectory with his own record, noting that he had held an elective mandate for seven and a half years in the European Parliament. Royal denounced the comments on X on Saturday, characterizing the statement as immature and inaccurate.

I deplore the appalling sexism of this immature remark and an untruth, having been dismissed from my post as ambassador for the Arctic and Antarctic poles for denouncing the violence of the repression against the Yellow Vests and refusing to stay silent, as Emmanuel Macron asked.

Escalating tensions in the 2027 primary

The release of the recordings intensified existing divisions within the primary campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The dispute followed an earlier incident in which Royal referred to Glucksmann as an intern, an attack that prompted a formal reprimand from the primary organization commission. The leak and subsequent public exchanges occurred immediately before the candidates gathered for their final broadcast debate.