His Thursday afternoon summed up his positioning. He first followed from the rostrums of the Assembly the coup d'éclat of the rebellious deputies who denounced the use of 49.3 by a Marseillaise covering the voice of Elisabeth Borne.

Then he crossed the Seine to mingle with the rally at the call of Solidaires on the Place de la Concorde; The ideal opportunity for a crowd bath conveniently broadcast by the continuous news channels. A few meters away, the former leader of the "yellow vests" Jerome Rodrigues wanted the junction of anger.

The next day, Jean-Luc Mélenchon "encouraged" "spontaneous mobilizations throughout the country" because according to him, "this is where it happens".

Even if he then also launched an appeal to follow the days of the inter-union, "the words are not chosen at random: when he says spontaneous and unorganized it is without the trade union organizations", annoys one of his leaders who predicts: "He will try to remake the cherry, to embody the rest".

A way for the Insoumise to turn the page after an examination of the text in the Assembly, marked by controversial agit-prop shots. And above all by important strategic differences within his own camp around the choice, made by Mr. Mélenchon, to maintain until the end thousands of amendments, even if it means widening the gap with unions in favor of a vote.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon wants to believe that the flame has rekindled the Assembly, where the Marseillaise sung Thursday has "released energies," he wrote on his blog. "Immediately, the first popular street rallies were mobilized."

Whether the link of cause and effect is proven or not, the former presidential candidate is burning to be a driving force for the protest, after weeks of stumbling in the shadow of the unions.

"The inter-union is in a longer time, we are vigilant to everything that may arise in the meantime," LFI deputy Paul Vannier, close to Mélenchon, told AFP. "He is a spokesman, holder of the vote of eight million people (7.7 Editor's note) in the presidential election (of 2022), which is still close," recalls this lieutenant.

"Radical and measured"

Former companion of the rebel, François Cocq, now distant from LFI, believes that Mr. Mélenchon now concludes "that we must beat the iron while it is hot, not wait for the days of the inter-union that do not bring victory", nor the motion of censure of Monday - which should not succeed unless surprise - or a referendum of shared initiative.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon (La France insoumise) during a public meeting, in Chevilly-Larue (Val-de-Marne), March 15, 2023 © Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP

This RIP, Jean-Luc Mélenchon did not even mention it. Yet it is on all the lips of his partners of the Nupes who want to make it the great campaign of the coming months. Too slow and heavy for the Unsubmissive, who pride themselves on being in the action.

Rather, they hope to derail reform in the heat of the social movement, an uncertain and risky scenario that better suits their revolutionary political imagination.

"They have tactical hesitation about RIP and its timing. They do not want to give the impression of giving up the mobilization of the street, "says the ecologist deputy Benjamin Lucas.

But unlike the Mélenchon volcano of the "yellow vests" period, the rebellious leader, if he is "very radical on the substance, is very measured on the form in order to reassure," says François Cocq.

"It was solemn, the moment was, we lived a tipping point in our democracy," abounds Benjamin Lucas. "He knows that the outcome of the crisis will condition the possible outlets" in the next elections.

Les Insoumise expect a dissolution in the short or medium term, reports Paul Vannier. "If the no-confidence motion passes, Macron would have no other choice. And in the medium term the contradictions of the Macronist bloc will be exacerbated and the president will be led to dissolve an Assembly that he no longer controls."

© 2023 AFP