Fabien Roussel, the national secretary of France’s Communist Party, officially declared his candidacy for the upcoming French presidential election. During a live broadcast on TF1's 20H program, Roussel emphasized that his campaign is centered around a "breakthrough project," aiming to push for significant policy changes. His decision has sparked some internal debate within his party and with La France insoumise, a left-wing political movement. Some members feel Roussel may have inadvertently weakened Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s chances of reaching the second round in the 2022 election by running as a separate candidate. Bruno Retailleau, the president of the Republicans and a presidential candidate, has ruled out the possibility of dropping out of the race. Speaking on BFMTV, he expressed confidence in his ability to win the election, stating that victory is "within reach." Retailleau also rejected the idea of uniting with Gabriel Attal or Édouard Philippe, both former members of President Emmanuel Macron’s government. He argued that his campaign offers a "breakthrough" that differs from the approaches of those two candidates, and he vowed to pursue his campaign "all the way to victory." Gabriel Attal, another presidential candidate, emphasized that early polling numbers from eight months before an election are not reliable predictors of the final outcome. During an appearance on BFMTV, Attal stated that he is running because he believes no one else carries the political vision he does. He reiterated his commitment to his candidacy and expressed determination to continue fighting "until victory." François Bayrou, the head of the Modem party and a former prime minister, has proposed a new idea for a "preliminary round" in the election. This round would include candidates who refuse to form alliances with either Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France insoumise or Marine Le Pen of the National Rally. This proposal seems to be a reaction to the current group of candidates on the right and center, including Philippe, Attal, and Retailleau. Meanwhile, Olivier Faure, the head of the Socialist Party and a candidate in the left-wing primary, is set to participate in a televised discussion on the Face à Face program of BFMTV-RMC, starting at 8:30 am.