The 40‑year‑old party secretary confirmed the birth in Lens, northern France, telling AFP that the delivery had gone "very well" and that she would need to "work differently" while balancing a newborn with a national campaign.
Tondelier, already mother to a seven‑year‑old son, became the first French political candidate to campaign while pregnant, a circumstance she said she hopes will bring attention to issues such as infertility, reproductive health and post‑natal challenges.
Hours after the birth, she attended a rare meeting at the Élysée Palace where President Emmanuel Macron warned political leaders about the risk of Russian hybrid attacks, underscoring the tight schedule she is navigating.
She was confirmed as the Greens’ presidential candidate on Sept. 21, and the party is slated to decide in December whether to keep her in the race or endorse another left‑wing figure.
Current polls show Tondelier trailing well below the five‑percent threshold needed to advance to the first round, a figure she acknowledged while emphasizing that the campaign will also be a platform to discuss building a country for future generations.
Tondelier said she plans to join a video conference with party members on Sept. 23 and may participate in a climate march later in the weekend, health permitting for both her and the newborn.
She described the pregnancy as fraught with difficulties, including a prior miscarriage and several unsuccessful IVF attempts, and said she had endured symptoms such as vomiting on high‑speed trains while campaigning.