This year the main candididate of the left will be chosen in primaries taking place nationally on 9th October (1st Round) and 16th October (2nd Round - if no candidate has won over 50% of the votes).
The candidates are
Martine Aubry - Mayor of Lille and First Secretary of the PS since 2008 (she has stood aside from this during while standing as a candidate). The daughter of former European Commission President, Jacques Delors, she has been a Minister in the governments of Cresson & Jospin. Website
Francois Hollande - currently a depute in the Assemblee nationale; and the President of the General Council (departement) of Corrèze - he preceded Aubry as Party Secretary. Website
Ségolène Royal - candidate for the PS at the last presidential election, she is President of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council. She had some ministerial experience in 1997-2002. Website
Arnaud Montebourg - A member of the Assemblee nationale and President of the General Council of Saone-et-Loire. Website
Manuel Valls - Mayor of Evry and member of the Assemblee nationale. Website
Jean-Michel Baylet - the only one of the six candidates to come from the Parti Radical de Gauche. He is a Senateur, and President of the General Council of Tarn-et-Garonne. Previously he had served as a minister in the governments of four PS Prime Ministers. Website
Further information (in French) about the "primaires citoyennes" can be found here.
