Paris (AFP)

Yannick Jadot (EELV) plans to bring together "within 15 days" the left leaders who responded favorably to his call, convinced that a common presidential candidate in 2022 could be appointed in the fall, he assures Sunday newspaper.

"Our historic responsibility is to get ourselves around the table," said the MEP, after having received positive responses this week, notably from Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Olivier Faure, Fabien Roussel and Benoît Hamon, leaders respectively of LFI, of the PS , the PCF and Generations.

The first meeting will take place "within two weeks", "we are in the process of setting the agendas", he said, stressing that the former minister Arnaud Montebourg "will not come" and that the former Minister of Justice Christine Taubira, "who is in Guyana, welcomes the initiative but prefers to stay behind at this stage".

The number two of LFI Adrien Quatennens clarified Sunday on BFMTV that his party had proposed the date of April 7 for an "act 1, before discussing candidacy and program: to resist the offensive of the extreme right in the country" .

"We can have a common candidate in the fall", forecasts for his part the green MEP, proposing to open now "ten projects": "social justice, a recovery plan to repair society , the hospital, the school, the reconstruction of our economy around the challenges of the climate, care, relocation, the reform of our institutions to revitalize democracy, emancipation and cohesion through and around the republican pact, transforming our agriculture to save farmers and biodiversity ".

In the eyes of Mr. Jadot, "there is enthusiasm around this initiative, I do not want him to be disappointed. The French expect us to act collectively".

Convinced that "the lefts are not irreconcilable", he expects Jean-Luc Mélenchon, whom he has met, that he "decides" if he wants "to be part of this common approach": "the door is open ".

Mr. Quatennens is pleased that Yannick Jadot understood "that it is difficult to do without the best placed candidate" on the left, that is to say Mr. Mélenchon.

"We have a program, we put it on the table. Jean-Luc Mélenchon does not say it is not to take or leave" and "until the summer, the programmatic discussion is open", according to the rebellious deputy .

"There is a difficulty (...): Yannick Jadot does not speak on behalf of the Greens, he speaks in his own name," he noted, however.

While a primary is already scheduled for September for the environmental pole including EELV and Generations, Mr. Jadot, who has distanced himself from this process, ensures that "environmentalists will not be able to impose on others (to left) their candidacy ".

And to add: "If a process makes it possible to envisage the victory, I hope that each one will join in this movement".

© 2021 AFP