Left-wing primary: more than half of registered voters have already voted, say organisers

After a first day disrupted by a cyberattack that slowed the voting process, the French centre-left primary is back on track, organisers said.

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By midday on Saturday, 87,841 ballots had been cast, representing 62.6% of the 140,282 registered voters. At 7 p.m. on Friday, only 20,000 people had managed to vote.

Turnout will be crucial in gauging the success of this primary, which is held entirely online, as well as an indicator of the legitimacy the winning candidate will carry into the race for the Élysée Palace.

Other political forces are already well entrenched in the presidential race, notably the far-right with Marine Le Pen, and the far-left led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Although he was not invited to take part in the primary, Mélenchon has remained a central figure in televised debates leading up to the vote. Discussions have focused on the possibility of an alliance with La France Insoumise in the legislative elections that will follow the presidential contest, as well as disagreements about endorsing the Insoumise candidate in the second round if the centre-left fails to qualify.

Speaking to Euronews, Rachel Garrat-Valcarcel, political journalist and author of the newsletter “Blocs & Partis”, believes that a turnout of “at least 80%” would be necessary for the primary to be considered a success for its organisers, the Socialist Party and Place publique, the party of MEP Raphaël Gluksmann, regarded as the favourite.

But in her view, a high turnout alone would not be enough. To “very possibly” generate momentum, she argues, Glucksmann would have to win “by a very wide margin in the first round”.

Five candidates in the running

Buoyed by the 14% won by his list in the 2024 European elections, Raphaël Glucksmann is facing several challengers in this primary, including Ségolène Royal, a prominent Socialist figure and former presidential candidate in 2007, Olivier Faure, the current Socialist Party (PS) leader, and MPs Jérôme Guedj and Emmanuel Maurel.

Before the cyberattack disrupted the ballot, the campaign had already been rocked by several controversies. Socialist MP Philippe Brun was excluded from the primary on September 16, following accusations of “violence” against a former staffer.

The debates have also been marked by heated exchanges, with Ségolène Royal going so far as to label Raphaël Glucksmann a “political intern”.

The €15 fee charged to non-members of the PS and Place publique, reduced to €10 for those on lower incomes, has also drawn criticism. Critics argue the fee could favour Glucksmann’s supporters, who are perceived as more affluent.

The result was initially expected on Saturday evening, but voting has been extended until Sunday at 6 p.m.