The important news is that there will be no primary elections for the Republicans for the 2027 presidential election. Bruno Retailleau, the leader of the LR party, was chosen by party members on Sunday, April 19, as the candidate for the next presidential election. On the other side of the political spectrum, several candidates are calling for a primary to choose which one of them will represent the left. But where does this practice come from and how did it establish itself in France?
The primaries in France draw inspiration from the American primaries, which have been a tradition in the United States for almost two centuries. The purpose, as in France, is to allow citizens to express their preference for the candidate they want to see represent a party in the presidential election. The process is indirect: voters cast their ballots for local delegates who pledge allegiance to a party candidate for the presidency. These primaries are organized by the states, with some allowing any voter to participate (open primaries), while others restrict participation to party members (closed primaries). There are also caucuses, party-organized meetings that also elect delegates.
Regarding the results, most states in the US follow the principle of “winner take all,” where only the delegates of the majority vote count, disregarding the scores of other candidates’ delegates. These state delegations then convene at a convention to select the party’s presidential candidate based on the number of national delegates they received.
In France, the primary system is much simpler and has been developing since the 1990s, mainly on the left. The Socialist Party used a closed primary for the first time to select Lionel Jospin as the candidate for the 1995 election. Similar processes occurred in subsequent elections, with the UMP designating Nicolas Sarkozy in a closed primary in 2007.
During the 2022 presidential election, five primaries took place, four on the left and one on the right. Fabien Roussel was selected internally for the PCF, Anne Hidalgo for the PS, Valérie Pécresse by LR party members, and Yannick Jadot in an open primary for the ecologists. Another primary, the popular primary, saw Christiane Taubira win but fail to secure the necessary endorsements to run for the presidency.
The primary model is also used in several other countries, including Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy, at different stages of party politics. In total, primaries are practiced in 29 countries worldwide.
