Toulouse (AFP)

Will the left be reconciled by the presidential election of 2022? Activists of EELV, insubordinate France and the PS met in the spans of their summer schools hope, while having trouble, for the moment, to project on a consensus candidate.

A unique candidate, "this is the only way out, we must make the union against Le Pen and macronistes": Catherine, EELV sympathizer, member of the Board of Directors of the federation Artisans du monde, summarizes a sentiment already expressed several times by the MEP from Place public Raphaël Glucksmann.

Given the relative weakness of each other, who even together struggle to convince more than a third of the electorate, "we must work to converge, we have no choice," says Nadine, 68 , from Cahors, to the "Amphis d'été" of LFI, organized in Toulouse as the return of the Greens.

"But I am very suspicious," she adds. Indeed, the barriers appear very quickly in conversations, especially when referring to potential candidates.

With the Insoumis, it is the former head of list ecologist with the European which crystallizes the mistrust: "Jadot, no!", Exclaims Nadine.

"He is very naive on Europe," slips for his part Michel, 64, came from Sarthe. Believing that he can gather the left, "it is lulled of illusions, it would be difficult to make the rupture with capitalism" desired by the Rogue, he adds.

"I would not trust, he caricatures the radical left," denounced Jerome, computer engineer from the suburbs of Grenoble. A reference to remarks by Yannick Jadot, during the European elections campaign, on François Ruffin and populism.

The militants are sometimes more resentful than their leaders, because the two men met Friday and did not balk to consider a joint work.

"Too bad if it's not Yannick Jadot", breath, handsome player, Mickael, activist EELV 31 years. "Among the popular classes, I'm not sure he has the same image" as François Ruffin, he says.

- Archipelago -

Mr. Jadot, who wants to surf on his beautiful score of 13.5% in the European, seems to be becoming as cleavage ... as Jean-Luc Mélenchon. He is accused since La Rochelle by Agnès, a PS activist for 14 years in Bourges, to maintain "the cult of the leader". "He has taken positions including the Syrian conflict that are unacceptable," she said, pronouncing "against an alliance with the Rogue".

This is reciprocal, because the unsuspects questioned reject the socialists, while the environmentalist Catherine is tolerant: "Given their state today, we can not say that they are dangerous".

Conscious of this weakness, PS activists do not seem to be bent on a candidacy emanating from their ranks. Former Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, who has resurfaced in recent months, is "the one who is the most unifying PS between currents, but beyond?", Says Xavier, 29-year-old Bordelais. But he too divides.

Beyond the personality, it is the substantive work that will make the decision, note some. "It's not the potential candidates that are missing, it takes a truly left-wing program to respond to current problems," said George, a communist activist who came to EELV University.

"It will be played on the political line, do we agree on the substance?" Mickaël abounds.

Rather than a primary "only serves to tear", "we can reflect around the notion of archipelago Patrick Viveret", altermondialist essayist present EELV summer days, argues Catherine: "find a trunk, a common project, where everyone keeps his identity ".

The LFI MP Clémentine Autain has been promoting the Archipelago method for several months.

"It's not irreconcilable" left, loose Michel. But, says the Insoumis with a fatalism mixed with the determination of the militant ready to fight, "in my opinion, there will be several candidates" on the left in 2022.

© 2019 AFP