• With the exception of a union list in Hauts-de-France, the main left-wing parties failed to ally themselves for the first round of regional elections.

  • A failure to be blamed on the ambitions of the outgoing, the demands of environmentalists and the tensions between socialists and rebels, among others.

  • The rally could, however, take place in the second round, on June 27.

From unity in Hauts-de-France to division in Brittany, where five left-wing lists clash: all the nuances of the alliance are displayed for the first round of regional elections this Sunday, June 20. Hauts-de-France is the only region where all the leftist formations are united, behind the ecologist Karima Delli. Elsewhere, the Socialist Party, Europe Ecologie-Les Verts, the Communist Party and the rebels have concluded alliances of variable geometry.

In the absence of a national agreement, the formations are sometimes presented separately, as in Ile-de-France, where three candidates (Audrey Pulvar for the PS, Clémentine Autain for LFI and the PCF, and Julian Bayou for EELV) are in a pocket square around 10% of the voting intentions, according to the polls.

Not only do the four left-wing parties do not have the same objectives for this election, but the ambitions of the Greens and the tensions between socialists and rebels have made the attempts to rally more difficult.

Nevertheless, all say they are in favor of the union in the second round.

  • The Greens want to confirm their momentum

After the Europeans in 2019 and the municipal ones in 2020, the ecologists hope again to have nice surprises at the polls. They are therefore at the top of the list in 12 regions (out of 13), even if it means competing with their outgoing socialist allies. In Center-Val-de-Loire, the EELV Charles Fournier, vice-president of the region within the majority of the socialist François Bonneau, comes face to face with the outgoing. "Our project is not reduced to that of the left", justifies the spokesperson for EELV Eva Sas. According to her, “the only chance to win, for the progressive camp, is to unite around ecology, because it brings together beyond parties and can re-interest citizens in politics. "

This choice, the success of which will have to be demonstrated at the ballot box, of course annoyed the other parties.

“Arrogance”, we say in rebellious France, “obstinacy”, we regret in the PCF.

The Greens, who have 64 regional and 48 departmental advisers, hope to double their number of elected officials and conquer regions, why not Pays-de-la-Loire, where polls boost the hopes of ex LREM Matthieu Orphelin, or even Ile-de-France and New Aquitaine.

  • The PS wants to keep its strongholds

Despite the many calls for union made by PS boss Olivier Faure, discussions stumbled over the ambitions of the Greens.

Besides the exception of Hauts-de-France, the socialists and the ecologists have all the same united in the Grand-Est, in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and in Normandy.

But elsewhere, outgoing socialists will face their former green allies in the first round, for example in Occitania.

For the PS, this election is crucial: it must keep its five regions to restore health after the electoral routs of 2017 and 2019. Ten months before the presidential election, socialists and environmentalists also know the party that will have won the best results under its colors at the regional level will arrive in a strong position at the union negotiating table for 2022.

  • Communists hope to win back elected officials

The PCF allied with the PS in nine regions.

In three others, he faces it: in Auvergne Rhône Alpes, Ile-de-France and Normandy, making a joint list with LFI.

"We called for a rally of the left in September 2020, to beat the right and the extreme right, but we had trouble building it", observes Pierre Lacaze, head of elections to the PCF and candidate in Occitanie on the list of the outgoing socialist Carole Delga.

"The united left could have created the conditions for victory," he regrets, mainly attributing the lack of a rally to the demands of EELV and to LFI's refusal to ally with the PS.

The objective, for the Communists, is to regain elected officials, after "15, 20 years of electoral setbacks", recalls Pierre Lacaze, listing about forty regional advisers, and 158 departmental.

“We are a party registered in the territories, with more elected than EELV and LFI.

The PCF has lined up behind the head of the socialist or rebellious list, with the exception of Normandy, where it hopes that the deputy Sébastien Jumel will arrive in the lead on the left on the evening of the first round in order to lead the rally to the second.

"The Communists are not only auxiliaries", insists Pierre Lacaze.

  • The rebels want to break through

No question of stepping over this ballot, as the rebels had done during the municipal elections, by presenting very few heads of the list.

LFI is present in all regions, except in Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, where left-wing parties have fallen out.

"We have proposed a national agreement to EELV and the PCF, because the subjects which separate us, such as the European treaties, are not regional subjects", explains Paul Vannier, head of elections.

In vain.

This did not prevent local alliances, with EELV in three regions and the PCF in four.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon's party has only a handful of regional advisers and hopes to bring many rebels into local executives.

He has good hopes in Ile-de-France, where Clémentine Autain is aiming for leadership on the left after the first round.

Politics

Regional: Bertrand, Wauquiez, Pécresse… On the right, the presidential match

Elections

Regional in Pays-de-la-Loire: A “secret alliance” between LREM and LR?

"Fantasies", according to the interested parties

  • Regional elections

  • France rebellious

  • Pcf

  • PS

  • Elections

  • EELV