Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in France on 11 April 2027, with a second round on 25 April if required. The elections may be held earlier under exceptional circumstances, such as the resignation or death of the incumbent president Emmanuel Macron. Macron is not eligible to run in the 2027 elections, as he is limited to two consecutive terms in office.
The president of the French Republic is elected to a five-year term in a two-round election under Article 7 of the constitution: if no candidate secures an absolute majority (50%+1) (including blank and void ballots) of votes in the first round, a second round is held two weeks later between the two candidates who received the most votes.[1] Per the constitution, the first round of the presidential election must be held between 20 and 35 days before the transition of power at the end of the five-year term of the incumbent president. Because Emmanuel Macron took office on 14 May 2022, the transition of power is slated to take place on 13 May 2027, meaning that the first round of the presidential election will be held between 8 and 23 April 2027, with the second round held two weeks after the first.[2]
To be listed on the first-round ballot, candidates must secure 500 signatures (often referred to as parrainages) from national or local elected officials from at least 30 different departments or overseas collectivities, with no more than a tenth of these signatories from any single department.[3] According to the Article 6 of the French constitution,[4] the president cannot "exercise more than two consecutive periods in office". For that reason, Emmanuel Macron is no longer eligible to run in the election for a third consecutive term.
According to reporting by Le Monde, former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, former Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, former Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, and former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal are seen as allies of Macron who may run to succeed him in 2027.[12] Édouard Philippe announced his presidential bid on September 4, 2024.[5]