Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the French Communist Party and candidate in the last presidential election, asks La France insoumise to “review application” from Taha Bouhafs to Vénissieux, in the Rhône, on June 12 and 19, under the banner of the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes). Invited on franceinfo Monday, May 9, Manuel Bompard, MEP La France insoumise and Nupes campaign director for the legislative elections, answers him. “In a political, programmatic, electoral agreement, each political organization freely chooses its candidates”, he tackles. “So it’s not Fabien Roussel who will choose the candidates for La France insoumise”
Taha Bouhafs was sentenced at first instance to a fine of 1,500 euros for public insult on the grounds of origin, for having treated the police unionist Linda Kebbab of“service Arabic”. The militant journalist appealed.
Despite the controversy, Fabien Roussel “can say what he wants”insists Manuel Bompard on franceinfo. “In the negotiations we had, this constituency was awarded to La France insoumise, he adds, so it is not the communist mayor of Vénissieux who will be a candidate but the candidate chosen by LFI”. However, nothing has been confirmed on the side of the Insoumis despite the statements on Twitter by Taha Bouhafs. “Today we have not definitively defined the nominations, it is not published, says Manuel Bompard, This constituency, like the others, will be invested in the days to come.”
This disagreement does not endanger the New Union according to the MEP of the Insoumis. “Overall, we have done something historic”, he insists. “It is the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic that there is a national agreement on all the constituencies of all the formations of the left, recalls Manuel Bompard, That it is disputed in some places, it is not very serious”.
The Nupes, which is aiming for a majority in the legislative elections, fears abstention. In 2017, it had risen to an exceptional rate, 57.36%. “If there is the same abstention rate as in 2017, it will be more complicated, acknowledges the MEP, but I want to tell the French: in 2017, with 32% of the vote, Emmanuel Macron had an absolute majority in the National Assembly. So I say ‘cheesy’: let’s do more than 32%!”. A goal according to him “completely doable”. “But that goes through the fact that people are mobilizing on June 12 and 19 for the legislative elections”.