White smoke after ten days of negotiations: the Left Party, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and the Ecologists announced late at midnight yesterday that they had reached an agreement and will work together in the parliamentary elections to be held in France on 12 and 19 June.
The announcement of their cooperation in the next elections came, in fact, after a May Day parade, in which the parties of the Left crossed paths, with the atmosphere between them being particularly pleasant, something not easily found in parties that only used to do in recent years was to... quarrel. The Federal Council of the Ecologists ratified the agreement negotiated by members of both parties for two weeks, with 84 votes in favour, 10 against and 8 white, and there was one person who did not take part in the vote.
The tweet of the Left Party
Accord entre la France Insoumise et EELV pour les prochaines élections législatives - Communiqué de pressehttps://t.co/qed3zAV56G
- La France insoumise (@FranceInsoumise) May 1, 2022
The tweet of the Ecologists
Communiqué de presse : accord entre la France insoumise et EELV pour les prochaines élections législatives#Legislatives2022
Lien vers la déclaration commune : https://t.co/bnRbOcxYIx pic.twitter.com/tArhbJ9ok1
- Les Écologistes - EELV (@EELV) May 1, 2022
Except for the signing of an agreement between the Left Party and the small movement «Générations» on Thursday, the negotiations between Melanson's party and the Greens were the most advanced that the Left has made since Melanson's 22% in the first round of the presidential elections.
Negotiations with the Socialists continue
Over the weekend, the Left and the Ecologists agreed on a number of points of disagreement. On Europe, «disobedience» was agreed, but only on certain economic and budgetary rules and that if necessary, while the two parties also agreed on the name under which they would run in the elections: «New People's Ecological and Social Union». They also agreed on the division of constituencies, and that Jean-Luc Mélenchon would take over as Prime Minister in the event of a majority for the party in the National Assembly, since the Leftists are the largest group in the new formation.
The fact that an agreement has been reached is a historic event, since these are the two main forces of the left in France.
Moment d'histoire.
L'accord entre LFI et EELV est acté.
La Nouvelle Union Populaire écologique et sociale va s'élargir !Un autre monde est encore possible : à l'issue des 1TP5Legislatives2022, avec #Melenchon1erMinistre, on peut appliquer un vrai programme de rupture.
- Adrien Quatennens (@AQuatennens) May 1, 2022
And an agreement with the Socialists would be equally historic, as the Socialists lost a lot after Jean-Luc Mélenchon's departure in 2008. However, such an agreement is not yet at the doorstep, as discussions between the Socialists and the Left started later and are still ongoing.
«Objective: Victory»
«If the debates don't end tonight, they will never end,» Leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon said during the May Day parade in Paris.
«He's moving on. Rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to make it go ahead,» Melanson assured, adding: «The question is whether or not we aim to win.».
Deal tonight? «Tonight, I'll be asleep», replied Olivier Four, the first secretary of the Socialist Party, a few dozen metres away: «There is no deadline, you have to succeed. We can say that we are not far from an agreement. We will continue the discussions tonight.».
A few minutes later, Faure and Mélenchon shook hands before starting a brief conversation in front of the cameras with the crowd chanting «People's Union!».
«There are many things to look at again and it's normal because we are doing something historic,» said Laurent Beaumel, one of the socialists in charge of the negotiation, «If we agreed in a few minutes or a few hours, it would be suspicious. It is normal to take time to clarify and discuss the issues.».
Socialist Olivier Faure, however, is negotiating with the Left under the pressure of the increasingly intense internal opposition.
His predecessor as head of the Socialist Party, Jean-Christophe Campandeli, published an open letter on Sunday referring in particular to the Left's desire to «break away from European treaties», restore the pension at 60 and embark on «staggering unaffordable spending».
