At first glance, one might think that this is a generational divide. At the forefront of this agreement around Nupes, we find most of the actors of the Hollande five-year term, starting with the former head of state, but also former Prime Minister or leading ministers like Bernard Cazeneuve or Stéphane Le Foll. Those who have long held the reins of the PS, like Julien Dray or Jean-Christophe Cambadélis.
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On the green side too, it is the old guard that is sounding the charge, and in particular the trio of founders of Europe-Ecologie-Les Verts, José Bové, Dany Cohn-Bendit and Jean-Paul Besset who published a virulent joint forum for denounce the “swindle” of an agreement that turns its back on the historical commitments of environmentalists, in particular in favor of Europe
This weekend, even Lionel Jospin made a dissonant voice heard….
And this is where we understand that protest is not a matter of generation. Admittedly, former Prime Minister Lionel Jospin is 85 years old. But he is in favor of the unitary agreement of the left. On the other hand, he opposes the eviction of the outgoing Parisian socialist deputy Lamia El Araje in favor of an Insoumise. He therefore came to appear by her side yesterday and will support her until the end. It must be said that the young socialist, 35, clearly beat the Melenchonist Danielle Simonnet last year and yet it is the latter, already three times defeated in the legislative elections who recovered the nomination. Even Olivier Faure deplores a “injustice“, which did not prevent him from signing the agreement… Elsewhere, too, for example in the Occitanie region, many other young socialist candidates were dismissed in favor of Insoumis…
Without a doubt. After all, parties that approve programmatic agreements contrary to their convictions to save positions, it has already been seen. It’s as old as politics. But on the ground, what many socialists have even more trouble digesting is the hegemony of the mélenchonistes. 330 Rebellious candidates against only 70 Socialists, dozens of departments without any PS candidate. A situation that risks arousing a lot of dissidence everywhere…
The PS hopes that these refractory will give up, for lack of funding. An argument that could well turn against the socialist party. With 5 times more candidates than the socialists, it is the rebels who will win the manna of public funding. The PS may well end the five-year term which opens on straw.