French Centre-Left Primary: Over 60% of Registered Voters Have Cast Ballots Following Cyberattack

Following a first day disrupted by a cyberattack that impeded the voting platform, organisers confirmed the French centre-left primary is back on track.

By midday on Saturday, 87,841 ballots had been cast, representing 62.6% of the 140,282 registered voters. For comparison, only 20,000 people had successfully voted as of 7 p.m. on Friday.

Turnout will be crucial in gauging the legitimacy the winning candidate carries into the race for the Élysée Palace, as well as the success of this entirely online primary.

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 not invited to participate, Mélenchon remains a central figure in televised debates ahead of the vote. Discussions have centred on the possibility of an alliance with La France Insoumise in the legislative elections following the presidential contest, alongside disagreements over endorsing the Insoumise candidate in the second round if the centre-left fails to qualify.

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

However, in her view, high turnout alone would not suffice. 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 shaken 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.

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