Legislative: LFI and EELV conclude a historic agreement, pending the PS and the PCF

Europe 1 with AFP 06:29, May 02, 2022

The lefts are indeed uniting: La France insoumise and Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV) concluded on the night of Sunday to Monday a historic agreement for the June legislative elections, while negotiations are progressing with the PS and PCF.

84 votes for, 10 against

It is the apotheosis of a 1st of May where the parties of the left crossed paths in the Parisian parade, in a good-natured atmosphere rarely seen between parties which have fought a lot in recent years.

The Federal Council of EELV validated the agreement negotiated over the past two weeks, by 84 votes for, 10 against, 8 white ballots and one person who did not participate in the vote.

This agreement notably allocates 100 constituencies for the environmental pole, according to sources close to the negotiations.

If we exclude the small Generations movement which signed an agreement with LFI on Thursday, the negotiations between LFI and EELV were the most advanced of the bilateral discussions initiated by the Insoumis with each of the left forces, after the 22% of Jean- Luc Mélenchon in the presidential election.

The weekend made it possible to make the final compromises, around the relationship with Europe ("disobedience" but only to certain economic and budgetary rules if necessary), the common label ("New Popular Ecological and Social Union") or even on the division of constituencies, the most hotly debated subjects.

The negotiations were not a long calm river

In the event of a majority in the National Assembly, "the Prime Minister would come from the largest group in the Assembly, namely Jean-Luc Mélenchon", stipulates the agreement.

Because the negotiations were not a long calm river.

Again on Wednesday the leader of environmentalists Julien Bayou tackled the rebellious negotiators deemed too tough in business at a press conference.

For their part, the Insoumis pointed to the supposed "internal differences" of EELV.

The outcome of the agreement is historic.

LFI and EELV have been the two dynamic left forces for several years, the first in the presidential elections of 2017 and 2022, the second in the intermediate elections since the European elections of 2019.

An LFI agreement with the Socialist Party would be just as historic, as the estrangement was deep since the departure of Jean-Luc Mélenchon from Solférino in 2008. But he will have to wait.

Negotiations started later and logically continued on Sunday evening.

Victory as a goal

"If the discussions do not end tonight, then it will never end", launched in the Paris Labor Day parade the head of LFI Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

"It's progressing, be sure that we are doing everything in our power to make it move forward", assured Jean-Luc Mélenchon, cheered by the demonstrators on his arrival at Place de la République.

"The subject is whether or not we are aiming for victory."

A deal tonight?

"Tonight, I'm sleeping," replied a few tens of meters away Olivier Faure, the First Secretary of the PS: "There is no + deadline +, you have to succeed. We can see that we don't It's not that far from a deal. We'll keep talking tonight."

A few minutes later, Messrs.

Faure and Mélenchon shook hands, before engaging in a brief conversation in front of the cameras to cries of "Popular Union!"

in the crowd.

"There are a lot of things to look at again, it's normal, we are doing something historic", justified for his part Laurent Baumel, one of the socialist negotiators: "If we started agreement in a few minutes or in a few hours, everyone would find that suspicious, it is normal that we take the time to elucidate the subjects".

Stéphane Le Foll attacks Olivier Faure

Deadline met or not, on BFMTV at the end of the day, the rebellious deputy Alexis Corbière (LFI) was optimistic: "There is a political union that is being made, it's joyful, it's positive , it's the majority."

Socialist Olivier Faure is negotiating with LFI under pressure from increasingly vehement internal opposition.

His predecessor at the head of the PS, Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, published an open letter on Sunday referring in particular to LFI's desire to "get out of the European treaties", bring retirement back to 60 and launch "dizzying impracticable expenses", all points that Anne Hidalgo had strongly criticized during the presidential campaign.

The PS had also criticized Mr. Mélenchon for his criticism of support for Ukraine invaded by Russia, and his rejection of NATO.

A regular critic of Olivier Faure, Stéphane Le Foll - also close to François Hollande - dropped his blows on Sunday in an interview with Le Point: "The urgency for Olivier Faure is to save himself. He is ready to sell off all socialist history for an agreement on 20 constituencies, this is unacceptable".