Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Monday launched the “parliament of the New Popular Ecological and Social Union” (Nupes) in order to promote “mass popular involvement”, essential according to him for the success of the government if he became Prime Minister.
The former rebellious presidential candidate (22%) began his speech, in front of some of the 500 members of this parliament gathered at the Fabrique in Paris, with a warning: “The Nupes parliament begins (…) and its sustainability is not guaranteed”.
It is intended to be an extension of the space for discussion on strategy and the program that was already the “Parliament of the popular union” during the presidential election. Its president Aurélie Trouvou, former Attac, will continue to hold the reins.
A “rebellious, rebellious” parliament
For Jean-Luc Mélenchon, “parliament is a necessity”. “It is impossible to change society as fundamentally as we have the ambition without a mass popular involvement”, hammered Jean-Luc Mélenchon, in front of his coalition partners the socialist leaders Olivier Faure, ecologist Julien Bayou and communist Ian Brossat .
“I hope with all my might that the (parliament) continues”, be “constructive and insolent towards power even if it is we who exercise it”, confided Jean-Luc Mélenchon. “Let him be rebellious, rebellious, whatever you want,” he added, not without a teasing glance at Olivier Faure.
“But you will decide, it is only in 15 days that all of this will end”, he added about the campaign for the legislative elections and the first round, on June 12. According to polls, the Nupes would become the second formation in the National Assembly with between 165 and 195 seats.
Aurélie Trouvou for her part recalled that this parliament was intended to “build a common political culture to win the cultural battle”, “everywhere where we can push back the reign of money and make the human take precedence”.
She presented her vice-presidents who represent the parties newly allied with LFI, the EELV MEP Marie Toussaint, the number 2 of the PS Corinne Narassiguin, the leader of the communist senators Éliane Assassi, the leader of Générations Sophie Taillé-Polian and the LFI MEP Manon Aubry. The rebellious deputy Éric Coquerel, also vice-president, was absent.
The parliament, which until then had some 300 members, was enlarged to 500 participants, half from the parties, the other from trade unions, NGOs or artistic and academic life: the historian Laurence de Cock , the former general rapporteur of the Observatory of secularism Nicolas Cadène, the president of the association “Better vote” Chloé Ridel or the co-director of the LGBT + Observatory.