Leftists pledge to team up ahead of polls
PARIS: France’s opposition left-wing parties pledged to work together and nominate joint candidates in snap parliament elections later this month, to challenge the government and Marine Le Pen’s far right, but had not yet struck a deal by yesterday morning.
Although the outcome of the ballot is hard to predict, a leftwing alliance does not appear likely to win a majority. It could, however, bundle enough votes to prevent either of the larger camps to nominate a prime minister against its will.
In a joint release late on Monday the country’s socialists, greens and the more hardline France Unbowed and communist parties made a call for a shared platform to “present an alternative to [President] Emmanuel Macron and fight against the racist project of the far right”.
The bloc had worked together during the previous parliamentary campaign in 2022 before a leadership struggle and policy differences — including on the Gaza war — led to cracks in their alliance.
Parties need to field their candidates by the end of the week and so far, the leftwing camp has not reached a final deal.
“There are moments in history one has no right to miss... there needs to be action, an electro shock, and a first step will be this union”, Greens leader Yanick Jadot told France Inter radio.
Following a massive loss for his Renaissance Party in Sunday’s European Parliament election, Mr Macron announced snap elections and dissolved the National Assembly. He said lower house elections would be called for June 30, with a second-round vote on July 7.
In a first opinion poll released on Monday, the far-right National Rally was forecast to score the most votes without securing an absolute majority.
Former French prime minister Edouard Philippe, widely seen as a potential centrist successor to Mr Macron as president, yesterday called for the country’s moderate forces, ranging from socialists to conservatives, to join forces.
“We have to accept the idea we need to work with others”, Mr Philippe told RTL radio. “Let’s together build something in the country’s interest”.