Emmanuel Maurel, a socialist elected official from Seine-Saint-Denis, has entered the primary elections for the French presidential election, which began on October 9. He announced his candidacy on September 4, stating he would bring a "singular voice for France, for the left, and for Europe." Maurel graduated from the Institut d'études politiques de Paris and studied modern literature and history. During his studies, he joined the UNEF, a left-wing student union, and joined the Socialist Party at the age of 17. Maurel became a municipal councilor in Persan, Val-d'Oise, in 2001, and later served as vice-president of the Île-de-France region, responsible for European and international affairs, apprenticeships, vocational training, and employment. He became close to Jean-Luc Mélenchon within the Socialist Party and in 2018 called for an alliance with La France insoumise while running for the position of first secretary of the Socialist Party, a role currently held by Olivier Faure. In 2014, Maurel was elected as a European deputy, focusing on international trade and economic affairs. He opposes major free trade agreements and promotes "solidarity-based protectionism." While the left generally supported the Maastricht treaty in 1992 and the treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in 2005, Maurel voted "no" to both. In 2018, he left the Socialist Party and participated in the creation of the Republican and Socialist Left (GRS), positioning himself on the left but advocating a sovereignist stance on economic and European issues, including protecting French and European industry and workers from globalization. After ten years in the European Parliament, Maurel returned to the national political scene in 2024 when he was elected as a deputy of the Val-d'Oise. He is now part of the Democratic and Republican Left group in the National Assembly and a member of the Finance Committee. His ability to convince voters with his "singular voice" remains to be seen.