Teddy Riner opens his campaign for the 2027 presidential election at Delafontaine Hospital in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis). The five-time Olympic…
Four days after the announcement of his candidacy, this first trip places access to health care at the center of his message. A novice in politics,…
The visit lasts more than two hours, punctuated by exchanges. One urgent issue quickly emerges from the first discussions with the facility's teams.
Teddy Riner opens his campaign for the 2027 presidential election at Delafontaine Hospital in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis). The five-time Olympic champion, aged 37, meets patients and caregivers there on Friday morning.
Four days after the announcement of his candidacy, this first trip places access to health care at the center of his message. A novice in politics, the judoka still has to establish his credibility on this ground.
The visit lasts more than two hours, punctuated by exchanges. One urgent issue quickly emerges from the first discussions with the facility's teams.
The trip was initially meant to remain confidential so as not to disrupt the running of the services. The candidate ultimately chooses to make it public. Popular, Teddy Riner still leaves questions about his platform open.
Dig deeper
Who is Teddy Riner?
A French judoka born in Guadeloupe and a five-time Olympic champion in the over-100 kg category, he is one of the country's best-known athletes. At 37, he is entering politics without an elected office or an established party, which raises the question of his credibility off the tatami.
What is Delafontaine Hospital?
It is the public hospital of Saint-Denis, a referral facility for a dense and often precarious population in the north of the Paris metropolitan area. Choosing it as his first visit anchors the candidate's message on access to care.
Where is Saint-Denis, in Seine-Saint-Denis?
Saint-Denis is a municipality in the Seine-Saint-Denis department (93), north of Paris, known for the basilica, the Stade de France and stark social inequalities. Strains on the supply of care there are a recurring political issue.
Why does this visit matter for his candidacy?
Four days after he announced his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election, it is his first public campaign appearance, and it puts health at the center of the message. Popular as a champion, he still has to spell out a platform.
What is the 2027 presidential election?
It is the universal-suffrage election that will choose the next president of the French Republic at the end of the current second five-year term. A candidacy is prepared long before the official filing of sponsorships and the first round.