The vote marks a change of historical direction.

After sometimes tense debates, the National Council of the Socialist Party (PS) adopted by 62%, Thursday evening May 5, the agreement with La France insoumise (LFI) for the June legislative elections.

The agreement was adopted by 167 votes for, 101 against, and 24 abstentions.

Several dozen of the 303 members of the National Council were present – ​​the others participated by videoconference.

The debates lasted four hours and alternated supporters and opponents of the alliance with LFI, Europe Écologie-Les Verts (EELV) and the French Communist Party (PCF) for the legislative elections of June 12 and 19.

"It's a moment of clarification, this vote says to which political space we belong", "on the left" and not with Emmanuel Macron, concluded the first secretary Olivier Faure from the headquarters of Ivry-sur-Seine.

"Mitterrand, that was radicalism, and yet we did it. By dint of saying that we are a party of government, we can forget our own roots, which are partly in radicality."

An investiture event of the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes) is to be held on Saturday in Aubervilliers near Paris.

The constituencies of three outgoing sacrificed

Spokesman Pierre Jouvet reported how the negotiations he conducted with LFI went, and justified the compromises made: "It is not necessarily easy for the last to come back (the PS) not to accept the proposed framework "on constituencies, program and strategy."

According to the list consulted by AFP, of the 70 constituencies obtained, a good twenty are winnable.

But the constituencies of three outgoing were sacrificed: David Habib in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Christian Hutin in the North (who did not wish to represent himself) and Michèle Victory in the Ardèche.

To which is added the 1st constituency in the Loire of Régis Juanico (Generations), which the PS thought of recovering.

>> Legislative 2022: an alliance that marks a historic shift for the left

Lamia El Araaje, whose election in 2021 was invalidated in 2022, also considers herself cheated, the agreement investing Danielle Simonnet.

A motion was passed in the Council to give a mandate to renegotiate in favor of the socialist.

An agreement deplored by some of the socialists

Despite the support of the mayor of Lille Martine Aubry, a historic figure of the PS, the agreement is not unanimous.

"The agreement you have negotiated asks us to apologize, to repent, to deny part of our history", protested the mayor of Vaulx-en-Velin, Hélène Geoffroy, leader of the minority current.

"Jean-Luc Mélenchon will have to accept insubordination. Be candidates if you wish, that's insubordination," thundered Val-d'Oise senator Rachid Temal, also opposed to the agreement.

Former President François Hollande also "challenged the agreement on the substance and the constituencies", while his former Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve carried out his threat by leaving the party.

Another former head of government, Jean-Marc Ayrault, deplored to AFP a "tinkering" and a "form of resignation" which risks fracturing the PS.

They are all offended by an alliance with a historical antagonist of the PS, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

But also the inclusion in the agreement of "disobedience" to the European treaties in the event of blocking to apply the program, or even many social measures which they consider impossible to finance.

With AFP

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