French journalist Natacha Polony announces candidacy for 2027 presidential election

French journalist and essayist Natacha Polony has announced her candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election, Euronews and Entrevue reported on October 14. Speaking on France Inter radio, the 51 year old stated that she wanted to shake up the political landscape. She said that she was stepping away from her role as an observer to make herself useful, adding that the current situation left her no choice. [1][2]

Polony criticized what she described as France's complete loss of standing. Euronews reported that she denounced a country mired in chaos, pointing to an ongoing debt crisis, a total lack of prospects, and tragic unrest in secondary schools. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, France has faced widespread student protests over poor school conditions and teacher shortages since September 21, 2026. Demonstrations previously resulted in up to 500 high school closures and nearly 2,000 arrests on October 1, 2026. [6][7]

Polony was born in Paris on April 15, 1975, and holds dual French and Polish nationality. She served as editor in chief of Marianne magazine from 2018 to 2025 before founding the journal L'Audace in 2025. She also previously appeared as a commentator on France 2 television. [1][3][5]