In the quiet aftermath of a month of student-led unrest over the rising cost of living, Eric Zemmour has told French television that he will stand again for the presidency, this time to press a sharper vow: to keep France French through expulsions and a plan to shrink immigration by two million. It is the familiar gesture of a commentator who has long tested the limits of public anger, now carried into the arena where the country decides its next leader in April 2027. Whether his hard line finds a home in a crowded right, or simply clarifies the path of the frontrunner, is a question the comin
Zemmour Launches Second Bid for French Presidency, Pledging to Expel Unemployed Foreigners
Expel even legal residents out of work for more than six months
Mark
Zemmour has said he's running again. Why does this announcement matter beyond the fact of another candidate?
Mimi
Because of what he's proposing. Expelling foreign prisoners is one thing, but he also wants to expel foreign unemployed people out of work more than six months, even legal residents. That's a notable step.
Mark
And he wants two million fewer immigrants.
Mimi
Yes, that's his stated goal. He framed the run as keeping a France that is French.
Luke
I'd flag that the two million figure is his target, not a forecast, and the report doesn't say how he would reach it.
Mark
The context is last month's protests. How do they connect?
Mimi
Student-led cost-of-living protests turned violent in October. Many on the far right see immigrants as key instigators, and Zemmour's platform plays to that.
Luke
Careful there. That's a view held by many on the far right, not something the reporting confirms. Who actually drove the violence is not established here.
Mark
What about Le Pen?
Mimi
She's the frontrunner, her popularity has risen since the unrest, and she's widely projected to win in April 2027.
Luke
Widely projected is still a projection. And the source gives no polling numbers, so we can't say how much Zemmour's entry changes anything.
Mark
Anything else on the field?
Mimi
Melenchon, on the far left, has been accused of encouraging the unrest. He presented his programme to about 17,000 supporters on Saturday.
The Pulse
- Zemmour has confirmed a second presidential run after finishing fourth in 2022, tightening the field around the far right.
- His plan to expel legal residents jobless for over six months has sparked sharp debate about where immigration policy ends and exclusion begins.
- Violent student-led cost-of-living protests in October have rattled the country, with the far right linking immigrants to the unrest.
- Marine Le Pen, the frontrunner, is gaining ground and is widely expected to face Zemmour's challenge in a crowded contest for the same voters.
- The race now turns on whether hard-line promises draw new support or only sharpen the contrast with Le Pen before April 2027.
In the quiet aftermath of a month of student-led unrest over the rising cost of living, Eric Zemmour has told French television that he will stand again for the presidency, this time to press a sharper vow: to keep France French through expulsions and a plan to shrink immigration by two million. It is the familiar gesture of a commentator who has long tested the limits of public anger, now carried into the arena where the country decides its next leader in April 2027. Whether his hard line finds a home in a crowded right, or simply clarifies the path of the frontrunner, is a question the coming months will answer.
On Monday evening, Eric Zemmour told TF1 what many had already suspected: he will be a candidate in next year's presidential election. He framed the run simply, saying he wants to keep a France that is French.
Zemmour, 68, is a Jewish author and longtime television commentator whose positions on Islam and immigration have made him a polarizing figure. He ran before and finished fourth in 2022. This time his proposals are more pointed. He would expel foreign prisoners, along with foreign residents who have been out of work for more than six months, even if they hold legal status. He has also set a headline goal of two million fewer immigrants in France.
The timing follows October's violent protests, led by students and fueled by anger over living costs. Many on the far right blame immigrants for the violence, a view Zemmour's platform echoes, though the reporting does not establish who was responsible for the unrest.
That disorder has reshaped the race. Marine Le Pen of the National Rally has gained popularity and is widely projected to win in April 2027 and succeed Emmanuel Macron. Zemmour will be fighting her for much of the same ground, while the far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon, accused of encouraging the unrest, unveiled his program to around 17,000 supporters on Saturday.
Zemmour is betting that a hard line on expulsions can win space to the right of Le Pen. The question now is whether his plan to remove jobless legal residents draws support or only sharpens the contrast with the frontrunner as the vote approaches.
On Monday evening, Eric Zemmour sat down with the French television channel TF1 and said what many had expected: he will be a candidate in next year's presidential election. "I can confirm to you that I will indeed be a candidate," he told the broadcaster, adding that he was running to "keep a France that is French."
Zemmour is 68, a Jewish author and a longtime television commentator, known for his anti-Islam and anti-immigrant positions. He has run before. In the 2022 presidential election he finished fourth.
This time he arrives with a sharper set of proposals. He says he wants to expel foreign offenders who are currently in prison. He also wants to expel what he calls "foreign unemployed people who have been out of work for more than six months," and he made clear that this would apply even to people who are legal residents. Beyond those measures, he has set a headline target: "two million fewer immigrants" in France.
The timing is tied to events of the past month. France saw violent protests in October, led by students and rooted in anger over the cost of living. Many on the far right see immigrants as key instigators of that violence, and Zemmour's platform speaks directly to that view. The source reporting describes this as a perception held by many on the far right; it does not establish who was responsible for the unrest.
The disorder has also reshaped the race. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, has seen her popularity climb as a result of last month's violence. She is the frontrunner, and she is widely projected to win the election in April 2027 and succeed Emmanuel Macron, who will leave office at the end of his term. Zemmour will be competing against her for much of the same political ground.
On the other side of the spectrum, the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon of the France Unbowed party has been accused of encouraging the unrest. On Saturday he unveiled his programme before some 17,000 supporters.
So the field is taking shape around the aftermath of October. Zemmour is betting that a hard line on expulsions and immigration numbers can carve out space to the right, even with Le Pen ahead. What to watch now is whether his proposals, particularly the plan to remove legal residents who have been jobless for six months, draw him support or simply sharpen the contrast with the frontrunner as the April 2027 vote approaches.
Notable Quotes
I can confirm to you that I will indeed be a candidate in the presidential election.— Eric Zemmour, on TF1
He is running to keep a France that is French.— Eric Zemmour
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