France's 2027 presidential race: Le Pen and Mélenchon lead as candidates declare

Six months before the first round of France's 2027 presidential election, the candidate list is growing, with Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon leading in polls. Le Pen polls at 35-36% and Mélenchon at 18-19%, according to an October 12 Toluna Harris Interactive survey. Declared candidates include repeat contenders Nathalie Arthaud, François Asselineau, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Florian Philippot, and Éric Zemmour, alongside first-time candidates such as Selma Labib, Karim Bouamrane, and Juan Branco. Several figures from the central bloc, including Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, have also confirmed their bids. Emmanuel Macron cannot run again due to constitutional term limits, while François Bayrou, Jean Castex, and Laurent Wauquiez have ruled themselves out. Philippe Poutou withdrew and endorsed Mélenchon, and Clémentine Autain also pulled out of the race.