French left's presidential primary threatened by Socialists' infighting

Socialist leader Olivier Faure, in Limoges, central France, on March 12, 2026. UGO AMEZ FOR LE MONDE

The meeting on the French left's presidential primary had been planned for several weeks, well before the March 15 and 22 municipal elections. Various left-wing figures sat around the table on Monday, March 23, to discuss the contest officially scheduled for October 11. The Socialists, however, were a no-show, much to their allies' dismay.

The day before, the left obtained mixed results in France's municipal elections, giving Socialist leader Olivier Faure's opponents an opportunity to attack the local agreements with the radical La France Insoumise (LFI) and revive the idea of running a social-democratic candidate in the 2027 presidential election. Since then, a certain degree of caution has prevailed in Faure's camp, where no one speaks of a "primary" anymore, preferring the more vague term "process."

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France's Socialists in turmoil over alliances with LFI as presidential race looms