What does François Hollande play? For the past ten days, the former President of the Republic, who has been touring television sets and radio stations – on the occasion of the publication of his book Upheavals (Stock, 220 p., €15.50), devoted to international relations – multiplies criticism of the leadership of the Socialist Party (PS) and maintains doubts about a possible return.
Saturday, October 22, in the program “Quelle époque! on France 2, Léa Salamé presents him with a photo of Jean-Luc Mélenchon asking him what question he would like to ask the founder of La France insoumise (LFI). “But why go on any longer? »laughs the former boss of the PS. “This one will come back to you when you introduce yourself”, replies Christophe Dechavanne, without provoking any denial from the former head of state. Another target that evening: the current first secretary of the PS, Olivier Faure, already attacked on October 13 on Franceinfo. “When you have had the responsibility of a party for five years and (…) that we are not able to have a credible program in the presidential election, we are silent and we leave room”, had launched François Hollande. The latter is sorry that his party is unable to “to make useful suggestions”because of his alliance with LFI within the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes), which pushes him on « positions radicales ». Rather than being aligned with the “rebellious”, the former tenant of the Elysée wants the PS to regain its autonomy, in order to rebuild a new “driving force of the left”.
François Hollande, who pleads for a “new incarnation” at the head of the party, is careful not to appoint a successor to Mr. Faure, preferring to cite pell-mell the president of the Occitanie region, Carole Delga, Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, Bernard Cazeneuve, or the mayor of Vaulx-en-Velin (Rhône), Hélène Geoffroy, who will run against the current socialist boss. He does not see himself stacking up, he says in private. But it does not bury the prospect of a national destiny if the winds became carriers. “He wants to show that he is always ready to serve. You never know how things are going”, smiles a historic leader, who knows him well. Except that even the dissidents of the PS, opposed to Olivier Faure, do not seem to expect it. François Hollande did not promote the last forum in the form of Hélène Geoffroy’s candidacy. Nor organized the political return of Carole Delga to Bram (Aude), who also dreams of rebuilding the left. No federation of the PS has also invited him to present his book.
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