Bruno Retailleau : présidentielle 2027

Les Républicains · President of Les Républicains, senator for Vendée

Statut : Declared on 12 February 2026, Les Républicains candidate

Vendée elected official close to Philippe de Villiers, then to François Fillon, he chaired the LR group in the Senate from 2014 to 2024. Interior Minister in the Barnier and Bayrou governments, he took over the presidency of Les Républicains in 2025.

Average first-round voting intention: 6,3 %.

Sondage présidentielle 2027 : toutes les intentions de vote pour Bruno Retailleau

Bruno Retailleau: ten key proposals

  1. Abolish birthright citizenship (droit du sol) by referendum, after a constitutional revision opening referendums to migration questions (Immigration)
  2. Achieve 197 billion euros in savings over five years and bring the deficit below 3% of GDP by 2031 (Dette et finances publiques)
  3. Not replace the 400,000 public employees who retire, for 25 billion euros in savings (Dette et finances publiques)
  4. Introduce a discount for departures between 63 and 65 and add a funded pension component (Retraites)
  5. Cut 30 billion euros in levies on businesses, including abolishing production taxes (Fiscalité)
  6. Exempt overtime from social contributions, in a 21 billion euro relief package for households (Pouvoir d'achat)
  7. Cap combined non-contributory benefits at 70% of the minimum wage (Smic) and align unemployment insurance with European standards (Travail et emploi)
  8. End public support for new photovoltaic and wind installations (Énergie)
  9. Enshrine the budgetary golden rule in the Constitution by referendum (Institutions)
  10. Hold a referendum on criminal justice for a “true revolution” of the system (Sécurité et justice)

Positions for the 2027 election, issue by issue

Energy

Bruno Retailleau makes nuclear power the foundation of the electricity system and wants to stop supporting wind and solar.

  • Extend existing reactors and confirm eight additional EPR2s after the first six.
  • Repeal the electricity section of PPE 3 and halt new wind and solar tenders.
  • Revive fast-neutron reactors (Astrid) and mobilise up to 4 GW of hydropower.
  • Cut electricity prices for businesses and farms by up to 10%.

Ecology and environment

LR favours nuclear power and easing environmental constraints on agriculture.

  • Recognise agricultural water storage projects as being of major overriding public interest.
  • Allow neonicotinoids such as acetamiprid where they are permitted elsewhere in Europe.
  • End public tenders for solar and wind power in mainland France.
  • Keep existing nuclear reactors running for up to 80 years.

Immigration

After the violence of 17 and 18 October 2026, he links migration disorder to security disorder and proposes stripping dual nationals convicted of looting of their nationality.

  • Links migration disorder to security disorder and calls for firmness on migration (October 2026, according to Europe 1).
  • Wants to strip French nationality from dual nationals convicted of looting (October 2026, according to Parlons Politique).
  • Extend the referendum to migration questions through a constitutional revision.
  • Abolish birthright citizenship by referendum.
  • Require five years of residence and activity for family benefits.

Purchasing power

Bruno Retailleau wants to lower fuel prices and better pay overtime work.

  • Cut fuel prices by 15 to 17 cents per litre by scrapping energy saving certificates.
  • Exempt from contributions the pay for half an hour of overtime per day.
  • Exempt employees with full careers from pension and unemployment contributions before the legal retirement age.
  • Return 51 billion euros to households and businesses, according to his estimate.

Employment and work

LR wants to tighten unemployment insurance rules and loosen the organisation of work.

  • Abolish benefits after three refusals of reasonable job offers.
  • Limit benefits to six months after a rupture conventionnelle (mutual termination agreement) and cap high allowances.
  • Annualise working time and simplify the Labour Code.
  • Top up the personal training account by €1 billion (July 2026).

Critical metals and industry

No measure published on critical metals. LR proposes a reindustrialisation plan based on taxation and energy.

  • Cut production taxes by about 15 billion euros (C3S, CVAE, industrial CFE).
  • Create a France Production fund of 600 million euros per year, steered by the regions.
  • Mobilise about 25,000 hectares of industrial land.
  • Designate advanced materials and batteries among seven strategic sectors.

Innovation and digital

Bruno Retailleau and LR want sovereign AI, backed by decarbonised electricity and simplification of the state.

  • Double the number of engineers specialised in AI, computing and robotics.
  • Host sensitive state and health data in line with the SecNumCloud standard.
  • Simplify the state through AI, alongside 250,000 to 300,000 fewer civil service posts.
  • Strengthen platform obligations to fight online hate.

Pensions

Bruno Retailleau proposes a minimum age of 63, a full rate at 65 and a funded share.

  • Set a minimum departure age of 63, with a 7% reduction per year.
  • Set the full rate at 65, then index it to life expectancy.
  • Create funded pensions for young people covering 25 to 30% of pensions.
  • Save €40 billion over five years according to his estimate.

Health

Bruno Retailleau approaches health mainly from the angle of savings, without a detailed health programme published.

  • 4 billion euros in savings on sick leave by 2032 (October 2026).
  • Turn State Medical Aid (AME) into emergency medical aid (2024 position).
  • Opposed to legalising active medical aid in dying (2025-2026).

Security and justice

After the violence of 17 and 18 October 2026, he calls for a state of emergency, a new public order doctrine and a criminal majority at 15.

  • Calls on the executive to declare a state of emergency after the violence of 17 and 18 October (October 2026, according to franceinfo).
  • Calls for a new public order doctrine embracing firm repression of violence (October 2026, according to LCP).
  • Proposes a criminal majority at 15 (October 2026, according to BFMTV, relayed by Titres Presse).
  • Restore mandatory minimum sentences and short prison terms, reversing the Belloubet law of 2019.
  • Abolish or strictly regulate the sentence enforcement judge.

Education and youth

Bruno Retailleau wants to rebuild the school system around transmission, authority and the freedom of institutions (August 2026).

  • Entrance exam for sixth grade, ability groups and an end to automatic progression.
  • Create 1,000 “free” public institutions on a voluntary basis.
  • Net increase of 135 euros at the start and 300 euros mid-career.
  • Reintegration facilities for under-16s excluded repeatedly.

Gender equality

Bruno Retailleau opposed enshrining abortion in the Constitution and menstrual leave.

  • Opposed to enshrining abortion in the Constitution: « not a catalogue of societal rights » (2024).
  • Opposed to creating an enforceable right to abortion.
  • The LR group in the Senate, which he chaired, rejected menstrual leave in February 2024.

Debt and public finances

Bruno Retailleau proposes 197 billion euros in savings by 2032 without tax increases (October 2026).

  • 197 billion euros in cumulative savings, with the deficit brought down to 2.2% of GDP in 2032.
  • Do not replace 400,000 civil servants who retire by 2032.
  • Abolish state agencies and operators, with the golden rule subject to referendum.
  • Return 51 billion euros to households and businesses, opposed to the Zucman tax.

Europe

Bruno Retailleau wants to stay in the EU but restore the primacy of national law.

  • Restore the primacy of national law to protect “fundamental interests” (February 2026).
  • Opposed to the EU-Mercosur agreement.
  • Neither leaving the European Union nor leaving the euro.

Defence

Bruno Retailleau aims for €100 billion in defence spending by the end of the five-year term.

  • White paper as early as 2027 and a programming law reaching €100 billion (July 2026).
  • Maintain an independent nuclear deterrent and fill shortfalls in munitions and missiles.
  • Multiply by five the resources devoted to defence artificial intelligence.
  • Create a territorially based reserve force capable of defending national territory.

International

Bruno Retailleau supports Ukraine and advocates a balance-of-power approach with Algeria.

  • Support for Ukraine, with a campaign trip to Kyiv in 2026.
  • Denounce the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreements (April 2026).
  • European security architecture not dependent on “Washington's goodwill” (July 2026).
  • Offer French cyber expertise to allies as a diplomatic asset.

Latest statements

  • 2026-10-28, Europe 1-CNews “La Grande Interview,” on the second round set for 2 May 2027, the day after 1 May : « The dates need to be changed. »
  • 2026-10-28, Reaction passed on by his entourage to franceinfo, after Gabriel Attal's proposal : « According to his entourage, he considers the idea of a primary bringing together representatives of the left and the right “fanciful and ridiculous.” »
  • 2026-10-27, HEC Débats in partnership with Public Sénat, Jouy-en-Josas (Yvelines) : « Speaking to students, he describes Parcoursup as “a black box” and calls for more transparency. »
  • 2026-10-23, Reaction on X to the attack in Trappes and La Verrière (Yvelines) : « He denounces “terrifying violence”. »
  • 2026-10-19, BFMTV, after the violence of 17 and 18 October : « He calls on the government to change the date of the second round, set for the day after 1 May. »

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Updated: 2026-10-31T08:51+01:00