Leaks from close sources reported that the former French Interior Minister and head of the center-right "Republicans" party, Bruno Rutayo, intends to run in the presidential elections scheduled for 2027, in a move that reflects the start of early preparations for the race. He is expected to officially announce his decision in an upcoming speech later today.

Published on: 02/12/2026 - 21:14

Sources close to Bruno Rotayo, former Interior Minister and head of the center-right "Republicans" party, revealed Thursday that Rotayo will run in the French presidential elections in 2027, thus becoming the latest figure seeking to succeed current President Emmanuel Macron.

Rutayo is expected to officially announce his candidacy in a speech later today.

It is noteworthy that the 65-year-old conservative senator from the Vandé region in western France served as Minister of the Interior from 2024 to 2025, first during the era of former Prime Minister Michel Barnier, and then in the administration of François Bayrou.

He was reappointed when current Prime Minister Sebastian Lecorno took office in October, but resigned shortly afterwards, expressing anger at Lecorno's other picks for government ministers.

This position, which also prompted Lecornu to resign before Macron reappointed him, damaged Rutayo's standing.

Opinion polls indicate that Rotayo faces a difficult battle to win the presidency, but he oversees a party that has a strong parliamentary bloc that other presidential candidates are likely to seek to approach and gain support for, especially the National Rally party from the far-right movement to which Marine Le Pen belongs, if Rotayo fails to reach the second round.

Rotayo has a hard-line stance on immigration, and spent most of his time as Interior Minister seeking to increase deportations and combat drug crimes. However, he may face difficulty in standing out against the National Rally party, headed by Jordan Bardella and Le Pen, who have held a strong position in opinion polls thanks to their focus on these issues.

Since leaving the government, Rutayo has strongly criticized the executive authority, and criticized the concessions made by Locorno to the Socialist Party to pass the 2026 budget and avoid his ouster.

France 24/Reuters

Keywords related to the article

The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.