France’s Socialist Party has joined the New Popular Ecological and Social Union formed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise ahead of the legislative elections in June but the news has not been well-received by all. EURACTIV France reports.
On 1 May, the Socialist Party’s First Secretary Olivier Faure shook hands with Mélenchon, indicating that an agreement was fast approaching.
But it was not until the early hours of Wednesday (4 May) that the two parties reached a compromise – after La France Insoumise had already reached an agreement with the Greens on 1 May and the Communist Party on Tuesday night.
However, negotiations were particularly tough regarding “substance and constituencies”, said Manuel Bompard, La France Insoumise MEP and campaign director of the radical left movement. “The PS [was] struggling to integrate [its] result in the presidential elections”, which ended up being over ten times lower than that of Mélenchon, he added.
However, the agreement’s content remains unknown as the Socialist Party still needs to submit the alliance project to its own national council, which will convene “as soon as possible” on Wednesday.
Radical left and Greens agree 'exceptional' electoral pact in France
Europe Ecologie Les Verts (EELV) and Jean Luc Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise have reached on Sunday an agreement setting up a joint programme and a sharing of electoral districts for the legislative elections.
Socialist Party in crisis
However, the idea of rallying forces with Mélenchon and embracing his programme is not something Socialist Party leaders are all too keen about, even though party voters largely favour such an alliance.
In the socialist camp, Le Mans Mayor and former minister Stéphane le Foll says he fears that “part of the socialist electorate will prefer to abstain or vote Macron” in an interview with the newspaper Le Parisien.
“This agreement is, first of all, very important for La France Insoumise. Without it, its weak local presence would not allow it to hope for more than 50 elected representatives,” said Le Foll, adding that “Mélenchon’s line is a decoy that will not be translated at the electoral level.”
A formerly highly influential of the Socialist Party called the “agreement of the left” “a piece of shit”, according to a trusted source who told EURACTIV. “A tactical agreement that puts aside the substance does not serve democracy,” the figure added.
On Tuesday afternoon, former Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve had threatened to leave the party in case of an alliance with Mélenchon, saying he would be doing so by loyalty “to republican socialism”.
According to him, Mélenchon’s movement “has fought without respite the Socialist Party” and “that between the two formations neither the values nor the means of action are common”.
Cazeneuve bemoaned that members of the party had not been consulted before the negotiations and expressed his disappointment that “a few hours [had] been enough to forget the most fundamental differences, or rather to silence them”. Cazeneuve criticised Mélenchon’s party for making concessions to dictators and “communitarianism”.
Mélenchon’s alliance expands with communists, ‘few steps away’ with socialists
The French Communist Party concluded on Tuesday night (3 May) an electoral agreement with Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s radical left La France Insoumise party joining the left alliance with the Greens ahead of legislative elections.
The deal allows the transition to a new …
Criticised by the presidential majority
French President Emmanuel Macron’s camp has been attacking socialists and ecologists recently, accusing them of denying their history and struggles.
It is an “extremely sad event for many French people”, particularly for social democrats, François Bayrou, the MoDem leader close to the president, said on Tuesday (3 May). The Social Democrats are “accepting to sign the end of everything they have done”, he said, pointing in particular to the “disobedience” to EU rules Mélenchon’s party is advocating for.
The New Socialist and Environmentalist People’s Union (NSEPU) will hold a launch event on Saturday (7 May) with all political forces participating in the coalition.
On the same day, Macron’s investiture ceremony will be held at the Elysée Palace.
French Greens defend pact with Mélenchon's party ahead of legislatives
Ahead of France’s upcoming June legislative elections, the Greens have found themselves defending their new partnership with Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s party amid accusations that it is compromising when it comes to the EU. EURACTIV France reports.
[Edited by Alice Taylor]
Source: euractiv.com
