The French Council of Ministers on Wednesday formally adopted the dates for the 2027 presidential election, scheduling the first round for 18 April and a runoff for 2 May. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon announced the decision, stating the timeline was chosen after consultations with all political parties and to minimise the impact of spring school holidays on voter turnout. The dates fall within the constitutional window of 20 to 35 days before President Emmanuel Macron’s term expires on 14 May 2027. Macron, first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2022, is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

The choice immediately drew fire from Bruno Retailleau, the presidential candidate of the centre-right Republicans (LR), who described the calendar as “not neutral” and expressed “anger.” Retailleau argued that holding the decisive second round on the day after the traditional 1 May Labour Day demonstrations risked politicising the marches and could advantage the left. He claimed the government had opted for the preference of left-wing parties, calling it a “strategy of chaos.” The government rejected the criticism, with Bregeon insisting that the usual pre-election political silence rules would apply uniformly and that the dates reflected an aggregation of all constraints, including school holidays.

The election is already shaping up as a contest between the radical right and radical left, according to French opinion polls. Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), faces a critical legal hurdle: a Paris appeals court is expected to rule on 7 July on her five-year ineligibility sentence for misappropriation of European Parliament funds. If the ban is upheld, RN’s 31-year-old president Jordan Bardella, who currently leads polling, would stand in her place. On the left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the far-left La France Insoumise has launched his fourth presidential bid and commands significant support among left-wing voters, though he also records the highest rejection rate among the electorate. Centrist candidates, including former prime ministers Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, are struggling with low poll numbers, weighed down by Macron’s unpopularity and, in Philippe’s case, a preliminary investigation for influence peddling.

Viewed from European capitals, the 2027 race marks a potential realignment of French politics, with the traditional centre ground eroded and a runoff between the far right and far left no longer a remote scenario. The RN has steadily increased its electoral base, and surveys consistently show its candidate leading the first round. The government’s date selection, while technically routine, has become a flashpoint in a pre-campaign already marked by fragmentation and legal drama. The official list of candidates must be published by 26 March 2027, and the campaign will formally begin after that, with the first round on 18 April.