A concrete announcement is underway as Bruno Retailleau, the conservative senator from Vendée and president of LR, formally announces his candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election.

The 65-year-old former interior minister is set to unveil his bid in a Thursday speech, signaling a deliberate, carefully considered entrance to the race.

Observers frame his decision as strategic and measured, rather than impulsive, highlighting a deliberate approach to leadership.

His platform calls for reforming the welfare model to reward work, tighten state spending, and prioritize families while safeguarding workers from profiteering elites.

He advocates a comprehensive overhaul of the social model and budget, with emphasis on natality, family support, and protecting workers from misuse of resources.

Legal feasibility is a question mark, as immigration and justice reforms are not currently within the referendum domain under consideration.

Beyond these themes of order, prosperity, and national pride, the article provides few policy specifics.

Retailleau is known for hard-line stances on immigration and crime from his interior ministry tenure, including deportations and tougher drug-crime crackdowns.

He faces the challenge of distinguishing himself from far-right rivals in polls, particularly the National Rally leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella.

A distinctive element of his program is the proposal to use nationwide referendums to enact major laws on immigration and justice, framing governance as direct democracy while promising not to yield to anti-democratic pressures.

Since leaving government, Retailleau has been openly critical of the Macron administration, notably over concessions to the Socialist Party during the 2026 budget.

He emphasizes a collective campaign, inviting active involvement from LR members and sympathizers as part of a matured, united bid.