In less than a week, a new force was born on the left. Baptized on Sunday May 1 after the agreement concluded between La France insoumise and Europe Ecologie-Les Verts, the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes) was joined on Tuesday by the French Communist Party. And maybe soon by the Socialist Party. The latter must decide on Thursday on the agreement concluded the day before by his delegation to the HQ of the “rebellious”.
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In the event of a green light, the four main left-wing formations will be able to embark on a close rank in the legislative campaign, with the shared objective of winning and sending Jean-Luc Mélenchon to Matignon. Here are the challenges that already await this unprecedented coalition, facing its first tests of solidity.
Conclude the final coalition agreements
With PS. The big piece of Thursday, May 5 is of course the national council of the PS, at 7 p.m. More than two weeks after approving the opening of negotiations with LFI, the 300 members of the socialist parliament are again summoned, this time to ratify the agreement to join the other left-wing forces. This validation “is going to be a titanic battle”according to party spokesman and head of socialist negotiators, Pierre Jouvet, who “hears the anger” born within the party on the compromise found.
With the NPA. Negotiations are still continuing between La France insoumise and the New Anti-Capitalist Party. In a press release published Wednesday afternoon, the NPA disapproved of the possible integration of the PS into this coalition. The presence of “party of social liberalism” could be a prohibitive obstacle for the training of Philippe Poutou, who says despite everything “seek an agreement”. In the event of white smoke, a national political council of the NPA will be convened on Thursday evening “for validation” of a possible alliance.
With other training? At the end of April, five small left-wing parties announced “gather in the Federation of the Republican Left”whose legislative candidates intended “participate in the gathering dynamics currently in place”. These parties – the Commitment of Arnaud Montebourg, the Republican and Socialist Left (GRS) of Emmanuel Maurel, the Republican and Citizen Movement (MRC), the New Socialist Left (NGS) and the Left Radicals – sent a letter to the People’s Union in the hope of opening negotiations. Thursday morning, “no answer” had not yet been received, according to Senator GRS Marie-Noëlle Lienemann, contacted by franceinfo.
Distribute constituencies and manage dissent
After a possible “family photo” bringing together the various members of the coalition on Friday, the formal launch of the Nupes is scheduled for Saturday, in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis). “What we want is to present all the official candidates of this New Popular Ecological and Social Union, the 577 candidates”exposed, Thursday, the “rebellious” deputy Alexis Corbière. “No doubt that Jean-Luc Mélenchon will speak, the future Prime Minister, and we will set the course for the campaign”he said, smiling, on CNews.
At this stage, the Ecologist Pole, dominated by EELV, has obtained 100 constituencies, including around thirty with a good chance of victory. The Socialists must inherit 70 nominations, with the hope of winning around twenty seats in the National Assembly. The Communists will be able to represent Nupes in 50 constituencies, 16 of which are considered eligible. The NPA says it was offered “5 constituencies, not winnable”. LFI would then have 352 candidates to present in the last territories.
And here is the map with 50 constituencies @PCFwith the 3rd of the Somme replacing the 4th of the Sarthe.#UnionOfTheLeft #legislative2022 #Elections2022 pic.twitter.com/uZAlM88M0O
– Bulletin_isoloir (@news_isoloir) May 5, 2022
Even before the formalization of these nominations, the Nupes faces threats of dissidence. The socialist president of the Occitanie region, Carole Delga, opposed to the agreement, intends to support PS candidates “sacrificed” in national negotiations. “When we have candidates who embody a different LFI project, we believe that we have the legitimacy to present them”, she exposed, Wednesday on France Bleu Occitanie. The communist mayor of Vénissieux (Rhône), Michèle Picard, has also chosen to maintain her candidacy on her land, yet allocated within the framework of the Nupes to the “rebellious” Taha Bouhafs.
The parties have already warned candidates tempted by dissent. “Each political party will be committed to enforcing this agreement” and “obviously” to exclude anyone who would appear against a candidate invested by Nupes, underlined the national coordinator of La France insoumise, Adrien Quatennens, Wednesday on franceinfo. “There can also be legal recourse, summary proceedings”he brandished.
Agree on the “shared program”
At this stage, the four agreements concluded by La France insoumise with EELV, the PCF, the PS and, to a lesser extent, the Génération.s movement are similar, but not identical. On the burning question of the relationship with the European Union, the text signed by EELV mentions the possibility of “disobeying certain European rules”. But the Socialists, who are more hesitant, obtained the addition of the expression “transitional derogation” to the Brussels texts. In another sensitive issue, the Communists are the only ones to have initialed an agreement providing “the renationalization of EDF, Engie, highways and airports”.
Before any programmatic harmonization, each of the four texts takes care to specify that the “Goals” already entered into the agreement “will form the basis of a shared government program of several hundred proposals”. The precise content of the promises that will appear in the campaign documents of candidates carrying the Nupes banner has yet to be determined.