Often weakened, the coalition born in 2022 is hit hard by the consequences of the war between Israel and Hamas.
The decision was expected, it was validated in the middle of the night: the Socialist Party (PS) voted, on the night of Tuesday October 17 to Wednesday October 18, in favor of a “moratorium” on his participation in the New Popular, Ecological and Social Union (Nupes). A year and a half after its creation, the coalition launched after the failure of the left in the 2022 presidential election finds itself in a rut, while several of the parties that make it up do not wish to continue it as is.
After numerous strategic differences, on pension reform or the European elections, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ended up deeply dividing the left-wing partners in the National Assembly. Enough to push them to go it alone from now on? Franceinfo takes stock of what remains of this political coalition, according to the positions of each of the parties that make it up.
Among the communists, no single position between the camp of Fabien Roussel and the pro-Nupes
Fabien Roussel, head of the French Communist Party (PCF), announced to franceinfo on Sunday that he no longer sat within the Nupes intergroup, a body which brings together the leaders of the four parliamentary groups on a weekly basis. Is its position, hostile since the birth of the alliance, widely shared within the party? Yes, if we refer to his broad re-election at the head of the communists at the last congress. On Sunday, the PCF adopted a resolution according to which it considers that the Nupes is “deadlock”. “It is time to open a new stage for the left with a new type of union, allowing debate between us as well as with citizens and trade union organizations”calls the text.
On the other hand, the situation in the National Assembly is different, because the communist deputies are more favorable to Nupes and do not wish to put an end to it. “There is a party, and there is a group”thus nuanced the deputy Sébastien Jumel, Tuesday noon, at a press conference. “We consider that it is necessary to maintain the necessary link to work on common combat paths, perhaps with updated working methods of mutual respect”specified the deputy for Seine-Maritime.
The Socialist Party declares a “moratorium” and proposes two “projects”
This is the latest distancing. In the National Council, the PS decided on Wednesday to “moratorium on its participation in the work of Nupes”. Concretely, the socialist deputies will no longer participate in the left-wing intergroup at the Palais-Bourbon. Already, on Tuesday, they did not go to the weekly meeting of this body.
Furthermore, the socialists point to the responsibility of Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the current crisis, although the leader of the rebels has no longer been a deputy since June 2022. “Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who a year and a half ago embodied our collective hopes, can no longer claim to be the one who embodies the entire left and ecology,” also assured the boss of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, Tuesday morning on France Inter, joined by his fellow deputies at a press conference.
“There is the management and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is the main problem of Nupes. And the La France insoumise (LFI) deputies who are clearly not comfortable”however, distinguishes a PS parliamentarian, while divisions are currently exacerbated within LFI.
In its press release, the PS wishes “the construction of a new common framework” to the left. “We are proposing two projects: tackling the fundamental disagreements that the 2022 negotiations have not resolved or which have emerged since then and reviewing the practical functioning of the intergroup”summarizes Boris Vallaud, boss of socialist deputies, in The Express. At the same time, opponents of Nupes, such as Bernard Cazeneuve or Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, are pushing the management to definitively take off with Nupes.
Environmentalists call for an “assembly” of the Nupes as soon as possible
They are still actively in the Nupes. Unlike the socialists, the deputies of the environmental group did not suspend their participation in the work of the intergroup. On Tuesday, its leaders proposed to the three other groups to bring together a “assembly of 151 deputies” of the left alliance “as quickly as possible” to try to overcome current differences.
“HAS At this stage, we see that the operation for a year has brought us into a difficult and serious situation.”pointed out Tuesday Cyrielle Chatelain, president of the group, recognizing a situation of “crisis” within the Nupes.
Environmentalists remain cautious about the future: Cyrielle Chatelain assured Tuesday that she would no longer participate in the intergroup with only three groups, as has been the case since Wednesday, with the suspension enacted by the PS. But they don’t give up “the union of the left and environmentalists” however: “The majority of us want things to go well, whether it’s called Nupes or not”said Marine Tondelier, boss of the Les Ecologistes party, on Saturday on France Culture. “If at some point it has to be called something else… Maybe at some point it will have to come to that.”
For La France insoumise, very poorly perceived challenges
In the eyes of La France insoumise, the driving force of Nupes which represents half of the coalition’s deputies, the criticisms addressed by the left-wing partners go down badly. On X (ex-Twitter), Jean-Luc Mélenchon thus accused Olivier Faure of “to break up” the alliance built quickly in the spring of 2022. It is the elected representatives of the PS who have been the most targeted by LFI for several days. About the famous “moratorium” of the rose party, Mathilde Panot denounced the “pretext” international issues to put the alliance on pause. “I find it unworthy at this moment to do it the way they do”scolded the group president on Tuesday noon.
“They took advantage of the Nupes to get elected when they needed it, now they are emancipating themselves. They talk to us about changing their method, but we proposed things six months ago, they said no in block”deplores to France Télévisions an executive from La France insoumise, “convinced that Nupes must move to a new stage”. Three and a half years before the presidential and legislative elections, it is its existence that is at stake.