French politician Glucksmann launches presidential bid amid fractured left

PARIS, Aug 23 - French centre-left politician Raphael Glucksmann launched a bid for the presidency on Sunday, seeking to challenge firebrand hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon for dominance of France's fractured left ahead of a campaign increasingly shaped by the far right.

The 46-year-old former essayist, MEP and head of the centre-left party "Place Publique" is expected to use a prime-time interview tonight to announce his bid, joining an already crowded field of left-wing contenders.

Glucksmann to enter French presidential race  euractiv.com

Commentator turned politician Raphael Glucksmann was on Sunday expected to announce his candidacy for France's presidential election next year, entering a field that is crowded even just within his left-wing spectrum.