The pressure finally fell at the headquarters of La France insoumise (LFI), Wednesday, May 4, after nights of discussions: following the environmentalists and then the communists, an agreement was signed with the Socialist Party (PS).
But the difficulties are only beginning. While the fire had been smoldering for several weeks, the socialist house caught fire. For many elephants and elected officials of the PS, there is no question of lining up under the banner of the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes) – which brings together La France insoumise (LFI), the French Communist Party (PCF) and Europe -Ecology-The Greens (EELV). And this despite the historically low score recorded by their candidate, Anne Hidalgo, in the presidential election (1.75%).
Among the most virulent opponents of an agreement with the “rebellious” are the former minister Stéphane Le Foll, the former head of government Bernard Cazeneuve, the former first secretary of the PS Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, the president of the region Occitania Carole Delga, but also the former President of the Republic François Hollande.
All believe that their political line is incompatible with that, considered radical, of Jean-Luc Mélenchon on the European Union, secularism, institutions or the question of pensions. Out of the question for them to support the union carried by the first secretary of the PS, Olivier Faure, and to “sell” what remains of their party and its history in exchange for a few constituencies distributed piecemeal by the leader. leader of LFI and its supporters.
Thursday evening, the 300 or so members of the national council of the PS are called upon to decide on this alliance by a vote. An almost historic moment which arouses great interest, including on the side of the “rebellious”, who intend to see the agreement come true. Olivier Faure is not guaranteed to win the case; each camp organizes itself and sharpens its weapons in the hope of gathering a majority in order to succeed or derail the agreement.
A “tinkering” at an “exorbitant” cost
To make the sling prosper, the opponents of this marriage of convenience intend not only to underline their differences of opinion with the “rebellious”, but also to emphasize the low number of constituencies obtained by the PS during the negotiations. 70 in number, including around 30 considered winnable, they are indeed a far cry from the more than 300 invested by the PS in 2017.
For some of the elected officials, pre-invested candidates and federations, the offer, which does not take into account their territorial roots, sounds like a humiliation. Former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault thus denounced a «Rafistolage» at cost « exorbitant ».
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