“Pace of insurmountable points”: the historic negotiations between La France insoumise and the Socialist Party started on Wednesday with a “positive” meeting according to the protagonists, contrasting with the strategic and substantive tensions which continue to disrupt discussions between insoumis and ecologists.
“We did not have the impression of discussing with the same PS as two, three years ago”, reported to the press the chief negotiator of LFI Manuel Bompard, who has also started other bilateral discussions. for more than a week with EELV, the PCF and the NPA.
LFI displays its ambition to obtain the function of Prime Minister for Jean-Luc Mélenchon by a victory in the legislative elections of June 12 and 19, after his solid third place in the presidential election (21.95%). Six out of 10 French people, according to an Elabe poll published on Saturday, want a majority of deputies opposed to Emmanuel Macron. The president, decided to show a more social face, went to Cergy (Val d’Oise) on Wednesday, a city that voted 48% for the rebellious leader.
Manuel Bompard felt that there was “no point of discussion which seemed insurmountable” with the PS, after years of deep fracture fueled by an offensive presidential campaign by Anne Hidalgo against Mr. Mélenchon.
“There is clearly a desire to show a break with the PS of François Hollande, they had no difficulty in committing to the repeal of the El Khomri law, on the Sixth Republic, the price freeze, which are important markers for us”, rejoiced the LFI MEP.
PS spokesperson Pierre Jouvet for his part declared to have “had a constructive discussion which allowed us to move forward on certain points, there is no insurmountable blocking point between us” with a view to an agreement. .
“We are now awaiting a public declaration from the PS which makes it possible to record these points of convergence, we will see if in the coming days it takes place and in this case we can continue to discuss”, warned Manuel Bompard.
Considering an agreement with the party of Jean-Luc Mélenchon is a major turning point for the Socialists. Under duress because with 1.7% of the presidential vote, the PS is threatened with extinction.
Since the vote by its National Council, eight days ago, of a desire to discuss with LFI for the legislative elections of June 12 and 19, the PS has been in the grip of tensions. Tuesday evening, First Secretary Olivier Faure, criticized during a national office by the minority current of the party, invited those who think “there is nothing more to do” to leave.
“No one owns the PS”, replied “Stand up the socialists”, chaired by the leader Hélène Geoffroy, who is one of those who oppose this line, like the mayor of Le Mans Stéphane Le Foll or the former first secretary Jean-Christophe Cambadélis.
“Calculator”
These are other types of tension that have slowed down discussions between LFI and EELV since the start of the week. LFI regretted on Wednesday that their interlocutors seemed to “go back” on their agreement including retirement at 60, the freezing of fuel prices and the application of the principle of disobedience in Europe “when it is essential to apply our program” .
Manuel Bompard in particular questioned the words of Yannick Jadot, reluctant to recognize the leadership of Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
The leader of the Greens Julien Bayou organized a press conference on Wednesday to deny differences on the “blocking of the price of gasoline” and on retirement at 60, just asking for this last point “funding”. He also recognized the need for a compromise on the European Union.
On the constituencies, sources of tough negotiations, Julien Bayou indicated: “We first asked for 32 constituencies out of the 100 best, they told us 16”, and now the ecologists are asking for 20. Too often LFI “wants the almost erasure of the candidates of the ecologists”, he denounced.
For example, in Bordeaux, whose mayor is an environmentalist, “they offer us the first, in the north of the city, or the fourth constituency, where there is an outgoing PS, and not the second in the center” more representative of the electorate of EELV, says Léa Balage, one of the negotiators.
In an interview with L’Humanité to be published on Thursday, Jean-Luc Mélenchon wanted to reassure: “We propose that everyone have a parliamentary group, and at the same time an intergroup. And a common Parliament”, which “allows each organization to remain herself and the people to take action”.
27/04/2022 19:14:22 – Paris (AFP) – © 2022 AFP