European lawmaker Raphaël Glucksmann has urged the French centre left to wage an existential battle to prevent Marine Le Pen's far right winning the 2027 presidential election after being chosen as the social democrat candidate for the presidency.
In his first interview since being designated a presidential candidate on Sunday night, Glucksmann told France Inter radio that the country was living in a historic moment, with the far right at the gates of power.
His candidacy marks the first time the Socialist party will not have its own presidential candidate since the party was founded in 1969. The party suffered two crushing defeats in the last two presidential elections.
At present the centre left sits substantially behind the far right in the polls and also trails the radical left politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is polling high but with whom Glucksmann refuses to work.