This Caribbean Man Wants To Be France’s First Black President
Originally published by News Americas Now Read the original
By News Americas Now Staff Writer
News Americas Now, PARIS, France, Fri. Nov. 13, 2026: A Caribbean-born Olympian wants to be France’s next President. If he wins, he would be the country’s first Black president.
Teddy Riner, announced on Monday that he will run for president of France in the April 2027 election. Riner, 37, has won five Olympic gold medals in judo. Riner, 37, made the announcement in a video. He framed his bid as an outsider’s answer to months of unrest across France, saying “the time has come to step up and take responsibility.”
The protests began in September with student walkouts over school funding and have grown into wider demonstrations over the cost of living. The Interior Ministry says at least 5,000 people have been arrested. A poll published in October put President Emmanuel Macron’s approval at 15%.
GUADELOUPE BORN
Riner was born in the French Caribbean overseas department of Guadeloupe and moved to the Paris region with his parents before his second birthday. He became the youngest judo world champion at 18, has won three individual Olympic golds, and lit the Olympic cauldron in Paris in 2024 alongside Marie-José Pérec. He is also co-host of the French version of Love Is Blind.
He has no political record yet and hasn’t published a platform. Political scientists quoted by TIME said he has spoken on pension reform and anti-racism and has shown solidarity with the student protesters. He describes himself as neither left nor right and says he wants to be a “president who unites.” In September he said the rise of the far right made him anxious. He later reported racist and hateful messages in response, and Paris prosecutors opened an investigation.
His first test is ballot access. French law requires 500 signatures from elected officials in at least 30 departments or overseas territories, with no more than a tenth from any one. Guadeloupe and Martinique are among those overseas territories, so this is a contest where Caribbean local officials can matter. A June 2025 poll found 18% of respondents considered him a credible candidate. Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon currently lead the polls. Macron has welcomed Riner’s entry.
“I know what people will say about me: ‘He’s mad. He isn’t part of the establishment. He doesn’t know the rules. He has never been involved in politics,’” Riner said Monday in a video confirming his bid for the April 2027 election. “If refusing to bow my head and refusing chaos makes me mad, then yes, I am completely mad.” Referencing the widespread unrest and turmoil that has enveloped France since September, Riner emphasized that “the time has come to step up and take responsibility.”
PAST CARIBBEAN BORN FRENCH POLITICIANS
In the past, there have been several top Caribbean-born and heritage politicians.
Gaston Monnerville, a French Guianese politician who served as President of the Council of the Republic (1947–1958) and then as President of the Senate of the Fifth Republic (1958–1968), making him the second-highest-ranking official in France at the time.
Jean-Baptiste Belley: An enslaved person born in Senegal who became a freedom fighter, military officer, and the first Black deputy elected to the French National Assembly in 1793 during the French Revolution.
Severiano de Heredia: Born in Cuba of Afro-Cuban descent, he served as a French politician, Minister of Public Works, and President of the Municipal Council (Mayor) of Paris in 1879.
