On June 9, the French are expected at the polling stations for the European elections. They will have the choice between 37 lists, each including 81 names. At their heads, more or less well-known political figures. Europe 1 draws up a portrait of the seven main candidates in the European elections, who obtain more than 5% of voting intentions according to the latest polls, a fateful threshold for obtaining seats in the European Parliament.
Jordan Bardella – head of list National Rally
Favorite in the polls, Jordan Bardella, 28, is for the second time head of the National Rally list in the European elections. In 2019, his list came first in the elections with 23.34% of the votes, or 23 seats in the European Parliament. This time, he is a clear favorite with more than 30% of voting intentions, according to the latest OpinionWay poll for CNews – Europe 1 – The JDD.
After joining the National Front in 2012, Jordan Bardella quickly rose through the ranks within the party, holding the positions of parliamentary assistant, spokesperson, director of the youth movement and then vice-president of Marine Le Pen. In 2022, he was elected president of the RN.
In the European Parliament, Jordan Bardella was until now a member of the “Identity and Democracy” group. However, he was regularly accused of absenteeism in the European Parliament.
Valérie Hayer – head of the majority list (Renaissance, Modem, Horizons and UDI)
© GUILLAUME SOUVANT / AFP
As for the presidential majority, which brings together the Renaissance, Modem, Horizons and UDI parties, Valérie Hayer was named head of the list. At 37 years old, the MEP, who joined the European Parliament in 2019, is however very little known in France, where she was only elected at local level. His list comes in second position in voting intentions (16%).
Daughter of farmers and originally from Mayenne, Valérie Hayer comes from the centrist UDI party. She joined Emmanuel Macron in 2017, before being elected to the European Parliament in 2019, on the list led by Nathalie Loiseau. In January 2024, she succeeds Stéphane Séjourné as head of the Renew group in the European Parliament.
Faced with his lack of notoriety at the national level, Emmanuel Macron and Gabriel Attal have regularly become involved in the European campaign in recent weeks. This is evidenced by the debate between the Prime Minister and Jordan Bardella this Thursday, May 23 on France 2.
Raphaël Glucksmann – head of the Socialist Party list – Place Publique
© Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
If the French left did not achieve a union for the European elections, the PS chose to ally itself, as in 2019, with the Place Publique party. Once again, the founder of this movement, Raphaël Glucksmann, 44, was named head of the list. For several weeks, the progression of his list in the polls, with 14% of voting intentions, has been seen as a surprise. In 2019, Raphaël Glucksmann only gathered 6.19% of the votes, or six seats.
In the European Parliament, the MEP has become known for his defense of the rights of the Uyghurs, as well as for measures in favor of aid to Ukraine, even if his opponents consider that he is “above ground” .
Manon Aubry – head of the list La France insoumise
© Henrique Campos / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP
La France insoumise also chose to keep the same head of the list: Manon Aubry. In 2019, the 34-year-old MEP’s list obtained 6.3% of the vote. This time, 8% of French voters would consider voting for the LFI list in the European elections, according to the OpinionWay survey for CNews – Europe 1 – The JDD.
Since 2019, the former spokesperson for the NGO Oxfam has co-chaired the left group in the European Parliament. She is also the youngest MEP to chair a European parliamentary group. During her mandate, Manon Aubry was particularly active in the European Parliament, as revealed by BFMTV, by leading five reports as rapporteur. An assessment that she had highlighted in a post on who work and the ghost MPs”.
Since the start of my mandate, I have tabled 3,460 amendments.
Jordan Bardella: 21.
In the European Parliament, there are those who work and ghost MEPs pic.twitter.com/sM0hgsPEbZ
— Manon Aubry (@ManonAubryFr) November 19, 2023
For these 2024 elections, where LFI failed to create a left-wing union list, Manon Aubry and the members of her list quickly positioned themselves on the question of the Palestinian cause, in the midst of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. A strategy widely criticized by their opponents.
Marion Maréchal – head of the Reconquest list!
© AFP
Unlike most of the other heads of list, this is the first time that Marion Maréchal is a candidate in the European elections. She was propelled to the top of the list of the Reconquest party! of Éric Zemmour, credited with 8% of voting intentions.
The niece of Marine Le Pen made her debut in the National Front by joining the party in 2008. In 2012, at the age of 22, she was elected deputy for Vaucluse then became regional councilor for Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur. After announcing her withdrawal from political life in 2017, she founded a private school, the Institute of Social, Economic and Political Sciences (ISSEP). She returns to politics in 2022, announcing to support Éric Zemmour in the presidential election, rather than Marine Le Pen.
For the first time, she will face her former party on June 9.
François-Xavier Bellamy – head of the Les Républicains list
© Ludovic MARIN / AFP
On the Republican side, the head of the list is also the same as during the last European elections: François-Xavier Bellamy, whose list is credited with 7% of voting intentions. In 2019, his list obtained 8.5% of the votes, or 8 seats, compared to 20 during the previous mandate.
At 38 years old, the MEP already has many years of politics behind him. First as a collaborator in the ministerial office, notably of Rachida Dati, then Minister of Justice in 2008-2009, then as deputy to the town hall of Versailles. In 2013, he participated in the creation of the Sens commun movement, a political offshoot of La Manif pour tous, opposed to homosexual marriage. Since February 2023, he has been executive vice-president of the Republicans.
At the beginning of May, François-Xavier Bellamy stood out for confronting striking Sciences Po students, who were demonstrating for the Palestinian cause. A sequence which had boosted the morale of the troops among the Republicans, who hoped to see a turning point in the campaign.
Marie Toussaint – head of the list of Ecologists
© Miguel MEDINA / AFP
In 2019, Marie Toussaint was 4th on the list led by Yannick Jadot. This time, the leader of the Ecologists-Europe Ecology The Greens are at the head of the list for the European elections and would collect 6% of voting intentions, according to the OpinionWay survey for CNews – Europe 1 – The JDD.
Engaged in politics with The Greens in 2005, at the age of 18, Marie Toussaint made herself known with the “Affair of the Century” campaign. In 2018, the international environmental law lawyer participated in bringing the State to court for its inaction in the fight against global warming.
In the European Parliament, the 36-year-old MEP is also vice-president of the Greens-European Free Alliance group.