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Lisnard proposes right-wing primary but rules out National Rally alliance

The Cannes mayor pairs his presidential ambitions with promises to cut public spending, raise take-home pay and restrict legal immigration.

Channel: Europe 1 ·

FranceStory of October 29, 2026Trari Newsroom

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Objectif Élysée 2027 : David Lisnard face à Laurence Ferrari

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7:05Lisnard proposes an open primary to select a single presidential candidate for the right.
11:20He defends his 2022 nomination signature for Mélenchon as a democratic safeguard, but would not repeat it.
15:27He pledges to reduce the CSG contribution on earnings to increase take-home pay.
34:25He advocates fewer than 100,000 legal entries annually, including student visas.
54:15An appeal for right-wing unity prompts Lisnard to rule out a coalition with the National Rally.
59:15Agnès Verdier-Molinié begins questioning the €200 billion in savings proposed in his program.

David Lisnard wants France's right to choose a single presidential candidate through an open primary, but he draws a boundary around that unity: no coalition with the National Rally.

The Cannes mayor and leader of Nouvelle Énergie sets out that position in an extended interview with Laurence Ferrari, broadcast jointly by French radio station Europe 1 and television channel CNews. The program, "Objectif Élysée 2027 : David Lisnard face à Laurence Ferrari" ("David Lisnard faces Laurence Ferrari"), tests both his presidential ambitions and the practical content of his proposals.

Ferrari begins by asking why voters should choose him. Lisnard's answer centers on restoring purchasing power, state authority and citizens' control over their lives, while reforming the social system and reducing public expenditure. An OpinionWay poll displayed during the interview puts him at 6 percent in a potential first round.

Asked how he would distinguish himself from figures including Bruno Retailleau and former prime minister Édouard Philippe, Lisnard renews his call for an open primary. The program then plays an archive showing that he was already advocating that mechanism in 2023.

His most concrete take-home-pay pledge is to reduce the CSG contribution charged on earnings. The CSG is a levy that helps finance France's social protection system. Later, iFRAP director Agnès Verdier-Molinié joins the program to scrutinize his proposed €200 billion in public-spending savings. Footage of Argentine President Javier Milei eliminating ministries also prompts Lisnard to distinguish his own economically liberal approach from Argentina's model.

On immigration, he advocates fewer than 100,000 legal entries annually, including student visas. Questions from journalists Gauthier Le Bret, Charlotte d'Ornellas and Louis de Raguenel also examine relations with Algeria, tougher juvenile justice, parental responsibility and the response to urban riots.

The archive section revisits another choice: Lisnard's decision to provide a presidential nomination signature for Jean-Luc Mélenchon in 2022. Such a signature helps a candidate qualify for the ballot; Lisnard explains his decision as a democratic safeguard, rather than political agreement, and says he would not repeat it today.

When footage of Éric Ciotti calling for unity on the right raises the possibility of cooperation with the National Rally, Lisnard's answer is an emphatic refusal. His proposed primary is a route to a common candidate, not an offer to bring every right-wing party into a coalition.