Five candidates have been confirmed for the social-democratic primary, scheduled for October 9-10 and 16-17: Olivier Faure, Raphaël Glucksmann, Jérôme Guedj, Emmanuel Maurel, and Ségolène Royal. To qualify, candidates needed endorsements from either 15 members of the national council, 10 parliamentarians, 50 regional or departmental councilors, or 50 mayors. Three socialist candidates claimed they had secured enough support, but the final approval rests with the primary organizing committee. Raphaël Glucksmann, leader of Place publique, and Emmanuel Maurel, leader of Republican and Socialist Left, did not require internal party support due to their leadership roles. Philippe Brun, a socialist deputy suspended from the party after being accused of "violence," was not selected by the organizing committee. Fabien Verdier, former mayor of Châteaudun, reportedly failed to secure enough endorsements. François Ruffin, who left La France insoumise (LFI), was rejected by Glucksmann. Matthieu Pigasse, a banker, described the process as a "bunker in which no one can enter." François Hollande and Karim Bouamrane, both aiming to run for president, chose not to participate in the primary. The first televised debate among the five candidates will take place on September 23 on LCI. Additional debates are planned for October 1 on France 2 and October 4 on BFMTV. The candidates will be questioned on international, economic, social, ecological, and governance issues by a panel of French citizens. Raphaël Glucksmann has stated that La France insoumise would not be part of his potential presidential government. Olivier Faure, the first secretary of the Socialist Party, criticized Glucksmann for "spitting in the soup" and emphasized the need to "gather all the left" without explicitly supporting an alliance with Jean-Luc Mélenchon's party. Faure defended his past alliances with La France insoumise, including the 2022 and 2024 coalitions, despite tensions following terrorist attacks and budget agreements. Ségolène Royal highlighted her experience as a former minister, regional president, and presidential candidate in 2007, criticizing Glucksmann as an "intern" candidate lacking practical governance experience. Jérôme Guedj, a socialist deputy, has criticized Jean-Luc Mélenchon, calling him an "antisemitic scumbag," and accused Faure of causing unease within the Jewish community by supporting the Palestinian flag on city halls. Emmanuel Maurel, a former member of the Socialist Party, has positioned himself as an outsider critical of the party's direction, advocating for secularism, deglobalization, and a "national loan" to fund ecological transition.