Teddy Riner 2027 French presidential candidacy, Digi Mart USA News: Teddy Riner wants to take on another challenge. The 37-year-old judoka, a three-time individual Olympic champion, announced Monday that he is a candidate in the 2027 French presidential election.
He says he has been weighing the decision since the 2024 Paris Olympics, with the ambition of offering a path beyond the traditional political families.
“What would not be serious would be to not speak up and remain a spectator,” he told the newspaper Le Parisien on Monday. The champion said he was struck by the collective momentum the Games inspired, and then by the return of divisions in public debate.
“What we managed to do for two weeks, we must be able to do for the country,” he said.
“I want to be the president who unites.” The candidate intends to make unity the central thread of his campaign. He presents himself as “neither right nor left” and says he wants to speak to all voters, from young people to those who abstain from voting.
In his view, the political scene currently offers only “always one camp against another.” “I want to be the president who reconciles and unites,” he promised.
Riner rejected the idea that his candidacy is merely symbolic, driven only by the fame of his sporting career. “I am not just a judoka,” he responded.
He says he is preparing for a campaign whose potential for harsh exchanges he understands. “Taking hits is my job,” he said, referring to his career on the mat.
His movement will be called “La France qu’on veut” (The France We Want). The candidate says he is surrounded by a core group of about twenty figures from civil society, the public service and former political life.
He also hopes to bring together more broadly the “forces vives” who wish to join him. The campaign structure is to be officially created in the coming days.
On the economy, his first announcements remain to be specified. Regarding debt, Riner believes France must learn to “spend less and reinvest better.” He promises to present concrete measures soon to support this direction.
On pensions, he calls for a new reform of the system. “The current system does not hold,” he said, while stating he wants to preserve the principle of solidarity through pay-as-you-go funding.
He would like to better account for the physical demands of certain jobs and does not rule out “a share of capitalization.”
The candidate prefers to speak of “life purchasing power” rather than purchasing power. He wants to raise take-home pay through reductions in payroll charges and allow those who wish to increase their income by working more, without challenging the 35-hour work week.
“We must be able to live from our work,” he insisted.
Riner still has to set up his headquarters, organize his fundraising and obtain the 500 sponsorships required to run. Yet he already expressed his determination: “I am running to say that we can lift France up.”
