Fabien Roussel launches 2027 French presidential bid with 72% Communist Party backing
French Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel confirmed his autonomous candidacy for the 2027 presidential election during an appearance on TF1, pursuing a standalone platform focused on labour and tax fraud.
Official announcement on TF1
Fabien Roussel, the national secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF) and the mayor of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux in the Nord department, confirmed on Sunday, 6 September 2026, that he will run in the 2027 French presidential election. Roussel made the formal declaration during an appearance on TF1's 20 Heures evening news bulletin, hosted by anchor Anne-Claire Coudray. During the broadcast, the communist leader stated that his decision to enter the Élysée race aims to address the economic and social difficulties facing French citizens. He presented the concept of living as the central theme of his campaign, outlining priority policy pillars that focus on fair wages, workplace satisfaction, and combating tax fraud.
I am a candidate, this is a thoroughly considered choice. I know the suffering of our fellow citizens, I present a project of rupture for our country.
Party ballot and internal PCF divisions
The presidential bid follows a four-day voting period among PCF members that concluded on Sunday, 6 September 2026. The party membership endorsed Roussel's autonomous candidacy with a 72% majority, approving a recommendation originally put forward by the Communist Party's National Conference. Despite the decisive vote among grassroots militants, the decision to run an independent campaign drew criticism from within the party's own parliamentary ranks. PCF deputies Elsa Faucillon and Stéphane Peu publicly expressed regret over Roussel's refusal to unite behind a single left-wing banner. The party leadership, however, maintained that an independent run is necessary to offer voters a clear alternative on the left.
- Roussel becomes national secretary of the French Communist Party
- Roussel receives 2.28% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election
- Ipsos/BVA poll places Roussel between 2.5% and 3.5% of voting intentions
- PCF members conclude four-day ballot with 72% voting for an autonomous candidacy
- Roussel announces 2027 presidential bid during TF1 20 Heures broadcast
Rising tensions across the left-wing bloc
Roussel's solo candidacy adds another competitor to an already divided left-wing political field ahead of 2027. The race already features Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France Insoumise (LFI), who is pursuing a fourth presidential bid, alongside Marine Tondelier of Les Écologistes. In addition, candidates such as Olivier Faure and Raphaël Glucksmann are contesting the primary of the socialist and democratic pole. The announcement immediately renewed longstanding tensions between the PCF and LFI. Officials within Mélenchon's party hold Roussel responsible for fragmenting the left-wing vote in the 2022 presidential race, arguing that his independent run prevented Mélenchon from advancing to the second round.
Electoral track record and early polling
The 2027 race marks Roussel's second bid for the French presidency after an unsuccessful debut in 2022, which came four years after he became national secretary in 2018. In the 2022 first-round vote, Roussel secured 2.28% of the ballots cast nationwide. An Ipsos/BVA poll released on Saturday, 5 September 2026, indicated that Roussel currently holds between 2.5% and 3.5% of voting intentions. While acknowledging the distance before the 2027 vote, Roussel maintained that his campaign will focus on unifying proposals designed to connect with working-class voters through economic redistribution and labour reforms.
Living is the word I wish to champion. Living decently from work, living in work where one flourishes. I wish to put forward proposals that can bring people together.
