Municipal: for Faure (PS), the LREM-LR alliances are "a moment of clarification" - France 24

Paris (AFP)

The boss of the Socialist Party Olivier Faure estimated on Wednesday that the agreements between La République en Marche and Les Républicains for the second round of the municipal elections constituted "a moment of clarification that was expected", calling for the rally to the left.

"Everywhere The Republic on the march is making an alliance with Les Républicains", noted Mr. Faure on franceinfo, targeting in particular the agreements concluded Tuesday in Strasbourg, Bordeaux or Clermont.

"It is also logical because the Prime Minister came out of it. And those who dominate the scene on the side of the Republic on the march are Mr. Darmanin (the Minister of Budget, note), Mr. Le Maire (the Minister of the Economy, editor's note), who are bringing up proposals that once wore on the right. This is a moment of clarification that was expected, "he continued.

For the first secretary of the PS, these unions will cause an electric shock for the left which "understands that there is in front of it a block which is constituted: the block of the liberals, of the right, from the Republic marching to the Republicans ".

"And even we understand that from The Republic marching to the Republicans, there is only one step and it has been taken. Now, on the left, to be responsible and to show that another future is possible", pleaded the deputy of Seine-et-Marne.

Mr. Faure notably denounced the paradox, according to him, between the speech of Emmanuel Macron promising a political turning point and the maneuvers surrounding the second round of the municipal elections.

"We had a President of the Republic who gave a speech that we could almost have all signed in the early days of the coronavirus crisis. (...) He was a president who made himself the champion of social -democracy, of political ecology ", reacted Mr. Faure.

"And what do we observe? That today it is his own friends who explain that it is necessary to make a barrier to the ecology in the cities because it would be dangerous to have cycle paths", a he ironically.

While the union between socialists and environmentalists has stalled in some cities, like Strasbourg, Mr. Faure admitted that "dissension has not been overcome", because of "local dilemmas".

But "we have lists everywhere that are formed with people who want to work together because (...) we have to fight against the same predators on a social and ecological level, and we protect the same victims" , assured Mr. Faure.

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