Paris (AFP)

The coronavirus crisis places the left facing a dilemma: how to be heard, including in government criticism, without appearing to break with the national union in a particularly anxiety-provoking context?

To reproach the government for its way of waging a "war" which causes the death of several hundred French people every day makes it run the risk of appearing opposed to the calls for sacred union against the virus repeated by President Emmanuel Macron.

On the merits, and faced with the expected worsening of the situation in the next fortnight, the main leftist leaders continue to severely judge the executive.

The first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure thus denounces a "growing discrepancy between the president's martial speeches and the field". Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) accuses Emmanuel Macron of wanting to "confine critical thinking". Fabien Roussel (PCF) pushes "a rant" before the shortage of masks and other protective equipment.

But the crest line is narrow, hence the will of the same to remain moderate on the form - all the more that, as explains the political scientist Jean-Daniel Lévy (HarrisInteractive), "the French do not think that the things would be better managed if the left were in power. "

"We will always be at the rendezvous of the general interest" but will remain "an opposition, without acrimony", warned March 21 at the Assembly Mr. Mélenchon, deputy for Bouches-du-Rhône. No question for him to "play the yes-yes-yes", insisted Sunday his entourage to AFP.

Since the start of confinement, the former presidential candidate has multiplied the proposals: planning of health mobilization, nationalization of Luxfer - an Auvergne factory manufacturing medical oxygen cylinders closed for months - payment of 100% of their salaries to workers reduced to unemployment ...

- "It's urgent" -

"Managing a crisis like this is very complicated" and "we do not want to pose as lesson givers", said Sunday to France Inter and Le Monde Mr. Faure, who also requests the nationalization of Luxfer and 100% wages to the unemployed, "capped at 2.5 Smics".

Without wanting to "weaken the government," he added, "as a parliamentarian, my duty is to control the action of the government. Democracy cannot be quarantined."

"National unity must have the will to build it. However, this is not at all the case. On three occasions, the Prime Minister summoned the leaders of the political parties ... without ever consulting us on the strategy or the scenarios for ending the crisis, "he said on Saturday.

"We do not underestimate the difficulty of the task" for the government, also said Boris Vallaud, spokesperson for the PS. "But we are asking for transparency and consistency. However, that lacks clarity. Demanding democracy is one of the conditions for victory over the coronavirus," he said. "After the crisis, it will be time to think about what did not work," adds Valérie Rabault, president of the PS deputies.

Sunday, the day after the intervention of Edouard Philippe promising the next arrival of a billion masks, Fabien Roussel told AFP to be "very angry". "To curb the epidemic, essential activities must be stopped. The Prime Minister did not talk about it. When masks are needed right away. It is extremely urgent! is heading towards a catastrophic situation ".

Each day, Mr. Roussel organizes a videoconference with the other officials of his party. "We take stock of the needs and we solicit companies able to meet them. We tinker locally," he explains. To remedy the shortage of masks, for example, he called on textile companies in the Valenciennes area, four of which have started to make fabric masks.

"Why the shortage? No, we can't understand," said the communist. "But we are not at the hour of opposition, we are at the time of finding solutions. Afterwards, the time will come to demand accountability", he also promises.

© 2020 AFP