Ségolène Royal, a former socialist minister and candidate in the 2007 French presidential election, recently criticized Raphaël Glucksmann, her rival in the current socialist primary, for lacking understanding of the people and being inexperienced. She compared electing Glucksmann as president to "putting an intern in charge of a company," emphasizing that leading a country requires professional experience or a proven track record of success in local or public institutions. Royal highlighted her own extensive experience in democratic leadership across local, national, and international levels. Royal expressed concerns that electing Glucksmann would be risky, noting that French voters prefer experienced leaders with positive records and do not want to repeat the outcomes of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency. She criticized Macron’s leadership for causing "brutalities, disdain, and decline," reflecting her dissatisfaction with the current political climate. The socialist primary, in which Royal is competing against Glucksmann, Olivier Faure, Jérôme Guedj, and Emmanuel Maurel, has its first round scheduled for October 9 and 10. Royal aims to promote a peaceful France without brutality or cynicism and to distinguish herself from Macron’s policies. She described two political approaches within the primary: one focused on uniting support without sectarianism and expanding in the second round, and another seeking to attract votes from the center and right, potentially aligning with Macronist candidates. Royal warned that the latter approach could lead to the decline of the Socialist Party (PS) and the rise of the far-right National Rally (RN). She argued that "soft social democrats" pushing liberal proposals to please the right may collapse, giving Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally, a clear path to power. This warning underscores her commitment to maintaining the socialist identity and preventing a shift towards more extreme political forces.