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David Lisnard Proposes Large Open Primary to Unite France’s Centre‑Right

He says a voter-run contest would prevent vote splitting by giving one candidate clear popular legitimacy.

Overview

  • David Lisnard formally relaunched his call for a “grande primaire ouverte” in a tribune published Tuesday, arguing no single centre‑right or centrist candidate currently commands broad support.
  • He cites a Harris InteractiveToluna poll reported to M6 and RTL that shows no decisive leader for the centre/right and finds Jean‑Luc Mélenchon reaching the second round in three of five tested scenarios.
  • Major centre and right contenders have so far rejected the idea of organizing a primary for 2027, leaving Lisnard’s proposal as a public appeal rather than an agreed process.
  • Some institutional figures such as Senate president Gérard Larcher back the proposal and analysts note a primary would also give Lisnard a national platform he currently lacks.
  • Lisnard points to the 2016 open primary that drew more than four million voters as a precedent and warns that without consolidation a split field could hand the run‑off advantage to the far right or the hard left, a risk that could reshape campaign strategy in the months ahead.