Perpignan Mayor Louis Aliot, first vice president of the National Rally (RN), announced Thursday that the party has already gathered more than 400 endorsements from elected officials to support Marine Le Pen’s candidacy in the 2027 presidential election. Speaking on TF1, Aliot dismissed concerns about meeting the legal threshold of 500 signatures, calling the current system “deeply flawed” and “a bad procedure for the presidential election.”
“We have more than 400 elected officials at this moment,” Aliot stated, adding that he is “less worried” than during previous presidential campaigns. The RN has historically struggled to secure the required endorsements, a hurdle that nearly derailed Le Pen’s 2022 bid before she ultimately qualified.
Calls for Reform of the Sponsorship System
Aliot criticized the rule requiring candidates to collect 500 signatures from parliamentarians, mayors, or departmental and regional councilors. The regulation has been in place since 1976 and is intended to filter out frivolous candidacies, but critics argue it disproportionately burdens parties without deep local roots.
“We must allow representative and serious candidates to be able to run,” Aliot said, describing the process as “a very imperfect system.” His remarks echo broader frustration across the political spectrum. Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise has also called the signature requirement “a major challenge,” according to MP Clémence Guetté, even as polls place Mélenchon near the second round.
Divergent Fortunes Among Candidates
In contrast, David Lisnard, the liberal former Les Républicains mayor of Cannes and president of the Association of Mayors of France, has already claimed to have secured all 500 endorsements. Lisnard, who is rarely included in national polling, has leveraged his network of local officials to clear the threshold early.
Aliot acknowledged that “gathering sponsorships is an ordeal for a candidate,” but emphasized that the RN’s organizational capacity has improved significantly. The party now controls hundreds of municipal councils and regional seats, providing a broader base of potential endorsers than in past elections.
Political Context and Next Steps
The endorsement process remains a critical early test for presidential hopefuls. Candidates must submit their signatures to the Constitutional Council, which verifies their validity and publishes the final list of qualified contenders. Failure to reach 500 signatures automatically disqualifies a candidate, regardless of polling strength.
Marine Le Pen has been the RN’s presidential nominee in the last three elections, reaching the runoff in 2017 and 2022. While she has not yet formally declared her candidacy for 2027, party officials have consistently signaled her intention to run. Jordan Bardella, the RN’s young president, has also been floated as a potential alternative, though Aliot’s comments suggest the party is consolidating behind Le Pen.
The debate over sponsorship rules is likely to intensify as the 2027 election approaches. Some lawmakers have proposed lowering the threshold or making endorsements anonymous to protect mayors from political pressure. A recent report highlighted that many local officials refuse to sponsor candidates out of fear of “getting attacked” by constituents or party rivals.
