Reversal of the situation in the legal case between the Socialist Party (PS) and four of its militants opposed to the electoral agreement established by the PS with the New People’s Ecological and Social Union (Nupes). Justice validated Friday, June 10 on appeal this union, reversing the decision of the judge in chambers of Créteil who had ruled that the PS had not respected the statutes of the party to conclude this agreement.
Seized by these four members, the judge in chambers had considered that the Nupes agreement, concluded by the PS on May 5 with La France insoumise, Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV) and the French Communist Party, would have “should have been the subject of a national convention”, and had ordered the PS to organize one within thirty days. He forbade him while waiting to “enjoy the Nupes agreement”. After this decision, which fell on Tuesday evening, the PS appealed, went into emergency procedure on Thursday.
In the decision handed down on Friday afternoon, of which Agence France-Presse (AFP) received a copy, the Court of Appeal rules that “the manifest violation of the statutes is not established”ni “manifestly unlawful disorder”, et “crippled” the order of the judge in chambers. “The consultation of the federations and the ratification by a national convention do not constitute a condition of validity of the agreement in question”considers the court, which also notes that, “in the case of legislative elections, the level of designation is either the national convention or the national office”.
The leadership of the PS welcomes the court decision
The applicants, four members who are not candidates for the legislative elections and who have no responsibilities in the authorities of the PS, had asked for a ban on taking advantage of the Nupes to prevent the exclusion of members of the PS presenting themselves outside the investiture of Nupes. Around 60 people are in this situation.
At the statement of this first decision, the number two of the party, Corinne Narassiguin, had estimated that this legal action, extremely rare within the PS, fell under “political maneuvers”intended for “fueling the division of the left”et “who favor Emmanuel Macron and those who are preparing the next PS congress” with the objective of overthrowing the current direction. For her, “the agreement is fully valid and legitimate and it puts an end to unnecessary controversy”added M.me Narassiguin to AFP. “The court recognized what was obvious to us: the Socialist Party respected its statutes and the Nupes agreement is valid in the eyes of justice”, confirmed Cosima Ouhioun, PS lawyer. A legal blow in the water for the minority current of the PS. However, nothing suggests that the fracture within the PS will close as quickly as this double summary which closes, in three days, this internal judicial sequence.