Decidedly, the agreement concluded Wednesday between insubordinate France (LFI) and the Socialist Party (PS) for the legislative elections of June, is not unanimous among the former leaders of the Socialist Party.

Former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, always listened to attentively even if his word has become rare, described the agreement as "tinkering" and "resignation" which risks fracturing the PS.

“I am deeply disappointed by the text which has just been made public.

I tell you my disagreement with regret, ”said the former mayor of Nantes.

"It's tinkering", he believes, denouncing the "exorbitant price" paid by the PS, which would be "absent in 500 out of 577 constituencies".

“There is a form of resignation which is not defensible”, estimated the former Prime Minister of François Hollande.

“At the same time, I am well aware that with 1.7% of the votes in the presidential election, that does not put the Socialist Party in a comfortable situation”, admitted Jean-Marc Ayrault.

Europe and retirement at 60 as disagreements

Among his points of disagreement with the joint PS-LFI press release, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs regretted “a kind of headlong rush” on the European question.

"We must work to develop the treaties, and why not change them, but we must ensure respect for the rule of law if we want to prevent Mr. Orbán in Hungary or Mr. Kaczynski in Poland allowing themselves what they allow themselves,” he said.

"European construction is a fight that must be waged, but by clearly and strongly affirming that there is no other way for France than the European way", he said. added, stressing that Europe was "in the process of making progress, of showing that it is useful: we saw it during the health crisis, we see it with the energy crisis and the food crisis with what is happening in Ukraine ".

“So now is not the time to weaken this construction.

On the contrary, it must be strengthened,” added Jean-Marc Ayrault.

As for the return to retirement at 60 for all, "it's deceiving the French (…) it's as if we were saying we're going to shave for free", he said.

"After such a failure in the presidential election, I measure the aspiration for unity" of the left but "we cannot achieve it at any price and at the last moment, on bases that are both vague and with such deep disagreements ”, lambasted Jean-Marc Ayrault.

“I can clearly see the risk of fracture”

The former president of the socialist group in the Assembly judged that the PS could "keep a parliamentary group", without agreement with LFI, thanks to the "good establishment" of its deputies.

While historical figures of the party, such as François Hollande or former Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, denounced this agreement, Jean-Marc Ayrault called for "ensuring the unity of the socialists".

"I can see the risks of fracture and I think they should be avoided," he said.

In the longer term, he called on the socialists to “learn the lessons of our failures because we are not there either completely by chance”.

In Nantes, in the third constituency of Loire-Atlantique, a historic stronghold occupied by Jean-Marc Ayrault for 30 years, the PS will not present, for the first time, any candidate.

Elections

Legislative 2022: Can the PS-LFI agreement pass the ramp?

Verdict Thursday night

Policy

Legislative 2022: Understand everything about the agreement about to bring together the PS and LFI

  • Jean-Marc Ayrault

  • Nantes

  • Francois Hollande

  • Socialist Party (PS)

  • La France Insoumise (LFI)

  • Jean-Luc Melenchon

  • Pays de la Loire