![Même au sein du bloc central, la proposition de François Bayrou ne convainc pas. [© Quentin Top / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/165338970/f393cd05f1f8838f14a9d027e039c36c48e7050511757a47bdb635d3d3e8aa51)
![Pour le président du MoDem, "ni le RN ni LFI ne sont acceptables" et le pays a besoin d’un candidat capable de rassembler le "fleuve démocratique central". [Europe 1]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/165370122/a89fcef2be8fb7c23535ef4e9bf6cf0899aa83d2cd46752f08d1e75bcd13bb3a)
Overview
- François Bayrou renewed his call on Wednesday for a single "grande primaire" of the broad centre to pick one candidate able to block both the Rassemblement National and La France insoumise.
- Bayrou warned that an RN–LFI second-round duel would be a "risk mortel" for France and said the presidential contest has changed so the first round no longer reliably filters out extremes.
- Major figures and parties across the centre and parts of the left quickly rejected the idea, with Olivier Faure, Les Républicains, Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal publicly refusing to join such a primary.
- Bayrou has not endorsed a candidate but cited possible centrist figures such as Jean-Louis Borloo, Xavier Bertrand and Thierry Breton as examples of who could lead a unified list.
- The proposal highlights deep fragmentation in the non‑extremist camp and could increase divisions ahead of the 2027 race by forcing parties to choose between coordination and running separate bids in the first round.