Mur-de-barrez: Former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Friday officially announced his candidacy for France's 2027 presidential election. Attal, currently secretary-general of President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party, declared his candidacy during a visit to the village of Mur-de-Barrez in southern France's Aveyron region, French broadcaster BFMTV reported.

According to Anadolu Agency, several Renaissance figures, including former ministers and lawmakers, attended the event in support of Attal, whose party last week formally designated him as its candidate for the 2027 race. Party officials said the launch in rural Aveyron was intended to highlight Renaissance's political presence beyond major urban centers.

The announcement came as France's political landscape increasingly takes shape ahead of the election, with National Rally leader Marine Le Pen and France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon also intensifying their campaigns. Speaking earlier Friday on BFMTV-RMC, Le Pen said she would campaign for Jordan Bardella if legal obstacles prevent her from running in 2027. 'I will campaign for Jordan Bardella,' she said, while confirming she would not serve as his prime minister if he became president. Le Pen is awaiting a July 7 appeals court decision in a case involving parliamentary assistants linked to the National Rally party at the European Parliament.

Meanwhile, Melenchon's party announced that the first rally of his presidential campaign will take place June 7 in Saint-Denis near Paris. The campaign season is unfolding amid debates over inflation, fuel prices, pensions, immigration, and economic reforms, with French political leaders increasingly positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 vote. President Emmanuel Macron cannot seek another consecutive term under France's constitutional term limits.