French judoka Teddy Riner launched his 2027 presidential campaign on Friday by visiting the Delafontaine hospital in Saint-Denis, TF1 Info reported.
The quintuple Olympic champion made a surprise entry into the race on November 9, 2026, positioning himself outside traditional party lines with the slogan “La France qu'on veut,” LCP-Assemblée nationale noted. His initial outing focused on public healthcare and emergency services in the Paris suburbs, Outremers360 reported.
Arriving at the hospital around 11 a.m. on Friday, the candidate spoke with medical staff in the pediatric emergency ward to examine facility capacities, Outremers360 reported. While his campaign team initially planned for his first public appearance at the Salon du Made in France at the Porte de Versailles on Saturday, the candidate chose to make the hospital stop public, TF1 Info reported.
The Salon du Made in France in the 15th arrondissement gathers no fewer than 1,000 exhibitors from Thursday through Sunday for its 14th edition, drawing over 110,000 expected visitors.
Teddy Riner said on X, “First visit today to the Delafontaine hospital. I am going there with the same concerns as many French people, facing the difficulties they encounter in getting medical care, between endless waiting times and strained hospitals. It is urgent to put health back at the heart of our priorities,” TF1 Info reported.
After spending hours touring the facility and speaking with healthcare workers, the candidate apologized to journalists for the wait but departed quickly in a car without answering questions regarding his political platform or candidacy, according to reports. While some local individuals welcomed the visit as a heartwarming gesture, others dismissed the appearance as a mere communication stunt.
A poll published by Ifop for LCI and Sud Radio on November 10, 2026, indicated that 22 percent of surveyed French voters would be ready to vote for him, while 70 percent held a good opinion of the athlete, 20, Minutes reported.
The survey was conducted online between November 9 and November 10 among 1,003 people representing the French population aged 18 and older, with a margin of error between 1.4 and 3.1 points, 20, Minutes reported. His announcement video accumulated over 25 million views across his X and Instagram accounts.
Riner said in a video statement released on his social media accounts, “If refusing to bow my head and refusing chaos makes me a madman, then yes, I am completely mad,” TF1 Info reported.
The candidate has positioned himself neither on the right nor on the left, rejecting a binary choice between extremist alternatives. Emmanuel Macron expressed happiness that the champion is getting involved in the campaign, while Jean-Luc Mélenchon said that the right has finally found a candidate with presence. Meanwhile, entrepreneur Philippe Véran is presented as his right-hand man.
The campaign’s economic and structural positions include reforming the retirement system because the current framework cannot hold, raising net salaries by lightening social contributions, and addressing national debt and state authority. The candidate has prepared his run over several months with a team of experts, including former Health Minister François Braun, who praised his willingness to bring people together and reflect outside traditional frameworks.