France sets presidential election dates for April 18 and May 2, 2027

Dates locked in

French voters will go to the polls on Sunday April 18 and Sunday May 2, 2027 to elect a new president. The information, first reported by the daily Ouest-France, was confirmed on Tuesday by a source within the executive. The decree is to be presented during the Council of Ministers on Wednesday July 1.

It will be made official tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Council of Ministers.

Two calendars on the table

Government and political parties considered two windows. One option placed the first round on April 11 and the second on April 25, a week earlier. The chosen dates push the race later into the spring, a decision that followed consultations between the Interior Ministry and party leaders. The final call belongs to the president, with the government's counter-signature.

Constitutional constraints

Under Article 7 of the constitution, the vote must occur between 20 and 35 days before the expiry of the sitting president's term. With Emmanuel Macron's second five-year mandate ending on May 14, 2027, the legal window for the first round ran from April 9 to April 24. The April 18 date fits neatly inside that framework.

Political arithmetic

The later dates align with the preference of the left and the Rassemblement National for an extra week of campaigning. By choosing April 18 and May 2, the executive also shortens the interregnum between the election and the May 14 handover, a concern cited by France Télévisions.

Voters and holidays

The campaign will unfold during France's spring school holidays, a detail noted by several outlets. The second round falls on the day after Labour Day, a timing that could affect turnout and logistics for campaign teams trying to keep an electorate engaged.