Côte d’Ivoire: 3 conditions for Tidjane Thiam to run in 2025
A few months before the presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire, scheduled for October 2025, Tidjane Thiam’s participation remains surrounded by uncertainties. While his popularity within public opinion and his roots in the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) are undeniable, legal and political obstacles are currently slowing his path towards candidacy.
3 conditions pour que Tidjane Thiam soit candidat en 2025
Since his return to politics at the helm of the PDCI-RDA, Tidjane Thiam has faced several major controversies that weaken his presidential trajectory. The most decisive is his removal from the electoral list, officially due to administrative criteria related to his residency. This decision, if not lifted, would prevent him from running in the 2025 presidential election. Meanwhile, some critics reproach him for leading the party from afar, in France, which they deem incompatible with the realities on the ground in Côte d’Ivoire.
Additionally, there are internal tensions within the PDCI, fueled by his rapid rise and the sense of exclusion felt by some historical figures. Despite his international network, Thiam currently does not enjoy any clear diplomatic support, as foreign partners, notably France, maintain a position of neutrality. These factors combined fuel doubt about his ability to transform his popularity into an effective candidacy. Three main scenarios can be considered at this stage of the process.
1. A last-minute reintegration into the electoral list
Removed from the national electoral list, Tidjane Thiam cannot, under current law, submit his candidacy. The first scenario thus envisions lifting this removal through a new exceptional revision of the list. For this, a decision by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) or a court injunction would be necessary to allow the reopening of enrollment operations.
This scenario depends both on the political will of the authorities and a potential force balance created by the PDCI or other civil society actors. However, the government and the IEC have so far rejected calls for a new revision before the election, citing respect for the electoral calendar. Without a shift on their part, this path appears very narrow today.
2. An international support likely to tip the balance
The second scenario relies on a potential leverage effect exerted by Côte d’Ivoire’s foreign partners. A former top-tier banker, Tidjane Thiam has an extensive diplomatic and economic address book, which could, under certain conditions, be mobilized to argue his case.
But so far, official statements from key international players, notably France, lean towards a cautiously neutral position. During a hearing at the French National Assembly, Minister Jean-Noël Barrot reiterated that Paris neither intended to interfere in Ivory Coast’s internal affairs nor to disengage.