Benjamin Haddad, France's minister for European Affairs, has voiced confidence that the French electorate will once again turn away from far-right politics and prevent Marine Le Pen from succeeding Emmanuel Macron in the Élysée Palace. In an interview with Euronews, Haddad said he believes voters will reject extremism, euroscepticism, and populism when they head to the polls in the spring of 2027.
His remarks follow an Elabe poll for BFMTV and La Tribune Dimanche that placed Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, far ahead of other contenders, with projections of 34% to 35.5% of the first-round vote. Le Pen was cleared to run in July despite an appeals court upholding an embezzlement conviction against her.
A history of rejecting the far right
Haddad, a member of Macron's Renaissance party, pointed to past elections as evidence that early polls can be misleading. "I never trust the polls," he said, recalling that when he began supporting Macron in 2016, the then-candidate was trailing significantly. Macron went on to win the presidency in 2017 with 66% of the second-round vote against Le Pen, and again in 2022 with a narrower 59% to 41% margin.
"The French people have repeatedly said no to extremism, to euroscepticism, and populism," Haddad asserted. He described the French as "deeply European" and proud of their country's role on the continental stage, suggesting this sentiment will ultimately work against Le Pen.
Le Pen has long been associated with proposals for a French exit from the EU and the eurozone, though she has softened her stance in recent years. Haddad reminded viewers that Le Pen was "the candidate of the alliance with Vladimir Putin" and has attempted to rewrite her history on Europe. "She's trying to make people forget about all of this," he said.
Unity as a challenge
Despite his optimism, Haddad acknowledged the difficulty of uniting the centre and centre-right behind a single candidate. With roughly eight months until the first round, the field is fragmented, with around 30 potential contenders. Among them are former prime ministers Gabriel Attal and Édouard Philippe, as well as conservative Bruno Retailleau. On the left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Marine Tondelier, and Raphaël Glucksmann are also in the race.
"We need to unify around a candidate, because right now we have a lot of talent in the centre, but we have a fragmented political offer," Haddad said. He expressed hope that by the end of the year, a single candidate could emerge to rally the centre and centre-right. Some contenders have indicated openness to a primary.
Haddad also urged politicians to approach the rise of populism "with a lot of humility." He stressed the importance of delivering concrete results on issues such as migration, security, competitiveness, and protecting Europeans from foreign threats. "Our first responsibility is to continue to deliver on results," he explained.
Le Pen's National Rally has been gaining ground, having won the 2024 European Parliament elections in France with more than double the votes of Macron's party, prompting the president to call a snap national election. Haddad conceded that global uncertainties—from trade wars and Chinese overcapacity to Russia's aggression in Ukraine—are fueling populist sentiment. "When you have these uncertainties, and the pillars on which we built our European Union and our transatlantic alliance are questioned, this very often paves the way for radical answers," he said.
Yet Haddad rejected the notion that turning inward would strengthen France. "I don't think that in a world where you have the pressure from China, from the US, the threat coming from Russia, we would be stronger going it alone," he said. The minister's comments come as other European nations also face challenges from populist and foreign interference.
As the campaign unfolds, Haddad's confidence will be tested. The French electorate has historically rejected the far right in presidential runoffs, but the margin has narrowed, and the political landscape remains volatile. Whether the centre can coalesce around a credible candidate will be crucial in determining the outcome of what promises to be a closely watched election.
