The government believes that there is "no reason to change" the dates of the presidential election after the violence of October 17

On Wednesday October 28, the government ruled out changing the dates of the presidential election. The latter being set for April 18 and May 2, this implies that the second round will take place the day after the May 1 mobilization which has caused some to fear excesses, following the violence of October 17.

“There is no reason to change these dates, except to kneel on the ground in the face of the delinquents, the thugs, the rebels who have sowed terror in recent days and weeks in the country,” declared government spokesperson Maud Bregeon after the Council of Ministers. “The State demonstrated (…) last weekend that it knew (…) to have the upper hand,” she added.

Bruno Retailleau fears a “bordelization date”

After the ransacking, looting and damage of October 17, the right and the National Rally once again asked the government to reconsider the choice of a second round on May 2, the day after Labor Day parades, traditionally very political. To stay within the constitutional framework, the dates of April 11 and 25 are also possible, they argue, even if they fall when two out of three zones are on spring break.

On Wednesday, Bruno Retailleau, who already saw it as "a date of messiness", repeated his fear that on May 1, 2027, "what happened on October 17 would happen". He insisted on a “problem of legality” since the rule is that “the electoral campaign ends at midnight on Friday”. However, he anticipated, “this will continue with May 1, you will have left-wing candidates who will appear”. “The neutrality and serenity which must prevail before the Sunday vote will necessarily be broken,” Louis Aliot, the RN mayor of Perpignan, close to candidate Marine Le Pen, also protested on Sunday.