An agreement between La France insoumise and its partners PS and EELV in view of the legislative elections seemed to take shape on Friday as the deadline approached, but the obstacle course is not over, especially with the Socialists who have suspended their exchanges . With 22% of the votes of its candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the presidential election, La France insoumise has launched bilateral discussions, in particular with EELV, the PCF and the Socialist Party, in order to find an agreement in the legislative elections and give itself a chance to send the tribune Insoumis to Matignon.
A subscription to the main lines, but differences on the EU
The leadership of the PS took a step forward on Friday morning, subscribing in broad outline to the “markers” of the LFI program: increase in the minimum wage to 1,400 euros net per month, retirement at 60, ecological planning, repeal of the law El Khomri (reforming the labor code), Sixth Republic, for example. They also advance, but with “divergences”, on the question of “disobedience to the European treaties” that LFI wishes while they, they underline, refuse to “endanger European construction”.
But the Socialists assume that “the implementation of the program that we are building will necessarily lead to (…) not respecting certain rules”, referring in particular to their refusal of a “return of the stability pact”. Among the points which remain sensitive, the PS lists “the defense of the secular and universalist Republic” and “the need for full and complete support for the Ukrainian nation, its freedom and its sovereignty”, faced with the position ” non-aligned” on the United States of LFI.
The PS asks LFI to “break with all hegemonic logic and accept plurality”
Discussions resumed in the morning at LFI headquarters. On his release at midday, PS negotiator Pierre Jouvet said: “At this stage, we still have a number of disagreements. We will still talk about it during the day, but for now, we are moving forward” . But shortly after surprise announcement: the delegation suspended the negotiations, urging LFI to “break with any hegemonic logic and accept plurality”. Part of the Socialists refuses this historic rapprochement with the movement of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, decided last week during a National Council of the PS.
Quoting Pierre Mendès-France, the president of the Occitanie region Carole Delga, notoriously in conflict with LFI, tweeted: “Morality in politics prohibits strategy and convictions from diverging, even for reasons of transitory opportunity”. Former President François Hollande had already warned Thursday against a “disappearance” of the PS in the event of an agreement, and the minority current of the PS, led by the mayor of Vaulx-en-Velin, Hélène Geoffroy, denounced ” a surrender” to LFI.
Resumption of discussions on Friday afternoon
This progress is also criticized by the macronists: the Minister for Relations with Parliament Marc Fesneau estimates in a tweet that the PS has “abjured (…) against its ideal, its historical figures” and “against honor”, the MEP Nathalie Loiseau that he “sold his soul for a dish of lentils”.
On the side of environmentalists, where negotiations with LFI had been tense for two days, discussions resumed Friday afternoon at the headquarters of the rebels. “We could move forward today,” EELV national secretary Julien Bayou told AFP, believing that there was “nothing absolutely insurmountable, but nothing certain”. On France 2, he was optimistic: “I believe that the agreement is in sight”, and “why not a common 1st of May in support of the unions”, on Sunday.
Criticisms of the “common label”
He had formulated severe criticism on Wednesday concerning in particular the question of the “common label”, which according to him cannot be only that of LFI, “the People’s Union”, and the number of constituencies reserved for environmentalists, too low in his eyes. . But “unofficial exchanges” have since taken place with LFI, specifies Julien Bayou to explain the evolution. EELV could also be shaken up by the agreement reached on Thursday between LFI and Générations, a member of their environmental pole, as well as by the progress with the PS.
An elected EELV sums up to AFP: “99.9% of EELV activists want an agreement. We trust Julien Bayou to get there. And I think he wants it too”. The Communists and the NPA, for whom there are still points of contention, must also come to the LFI headquarters on Friday afternoon, said LFI deputy Eric Coquerel.