Barnier Enters Crowded Field For Centre-Right Presidential Nomination

As had been expected for some time, last night in an interview with TF1 television former European Commissioner Michel Barnier announced his intention to stand for the nomination of the Gaullist centre-right Les Republicains (LR) in next year's presidential election. Barnier enters a crowded field and sits with an outside chance of gaining the nomination.

• The current frontrunners are President of the Regional Council of Ile-de-France Valerie Pecresse and President of the Regional Council of Haute-de-France Xavier Bertrand. Neither Pecresse nor Bertrand represent LR at present, with Pecresse head of her own Soyons Libres (Let's Be Free) party and Bertrand sits under the broad 'miscellaneous Right' banner.
• LR does not at present have an official process to select its presidential candidate, with the party leadership stating that a decision will be made by 25 September.
• There is the prospect of a primary, but Bertrand - who currently has the best showing of potential LR candidates in opinion polling - has stated that he will not participate in a primary election and is calling for his nomination by proclamation.
• Barnier, who gained continent-wide recognition by leading the European Commission's negotiating team during the Brexit negotiations with the UK, is seen as the most pro-EU of centre-right candidates but also with the strictest anti-immigration policies.