“What Jean-Luc Mélenchon and the Union Populaire are asking for is actually that we stand behind their banner,” said Hélène Geoffroy.
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The PS mayor of Vaulx-en-Velin, in the suburbs of Lyon (Rhône), asks Friday April 29 on franceinfo “a vote of socialist militants before any ratification of an agreement” with La France insoumise in view of the legislative elections. After her letter written to the first secretary of the PS, whom she accuses of “submission”Hélène Geoffroy denounces the “general saver” and the “many denials” requested by LFI.
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franceinfo: Are you totally hostile to the rapprochement between the PS and LFI?
Helene Geoffroy : It is not a union of leftist forces that is being built. What Jean-Luc Mélenchon and the Union Populaire are asking for is actually that we stand behind their banner. They ask for many denials about what the socialist governments have done, about the European idea that we carry, about the way in which we see the question of the freedom of peoples… We are at the same point as there was a hundred years old at the Congress of Tours when very strong questions arose on the political line. What I ask is that there be a vote of socialist militants before any ratification of an agreement.
Are you afraid of a split while some supporters of this rapprochement within your party invite you to leave the ship?
It was First Secretary Olivier Faure who told us to leave… He wants to talk about unity but he is not bringing his party together. What I asked was to discuss the substance and the line but he does not want to argue. An agreement is made on a program. We cannot be in a general rescue. However, this is the feeling given by the Socialist delegation.
Aren’t the emergency arguments against Macron’s program enough for you?
The question is more, do we sincerely believe that by denying all our convictions we can be credible in front of the French for the legislative elections? Do we accredit the idea of a Jean-Luc Mélenchon Prime Minister, when what is at stake is the ability to send deputies to the National Assembly to carry out a project? We have to agree on the project and on what we say to the French. Some say things at odds with each other, at least about Europe. It is a difficulty and it does not do honor to the voters.