With President Emmanuel Macron calling snap parliamentary elections in France, the French left-wing parties agreed on Thursday to form a "New Popular Front".
With Macron making the surprising decision on Sunday following a calamitous victory for the French far-right in the European elections, the Socialists (PS), Greens (EELV), Communists (PCF), and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) have announced plans for a joint platform with single candidates in each of France's 577 constituencies. They aim "to build an alternative to Emmanuel's Macron movement and countering the far-right."
The leaders of the four parties were vocal in their enthusiasm for the alliance. "We have succeeded. A page of history is being written," socialist leader Olivier Faure wrote on X. This is "a major political event in France," vaunted LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
The alliance represents an effort to put aside the differences between the parties if there is to be any chance of succeeding in the parliamentary elections, scheduled for 30 June and 7 July (1st and 2nd round).
"The only thing that matters to me is that the National Rally (RN) does not win these legislative elections. And the only way to do that is for the left to come together. This is our historic responsibility," said Raphaël Glucksmann, French MEP and head of the PS's list for the European elections, on Friday morning.
Nous avons réussi. Une page de l’Histoire de France s’écrit avec le #NouveauFrontPopulaire ! pic.twitter.com/Iqvzm6IfvR
— Olivier Faure (@faureolivier) June 13, 2024
Translation: We have succeeded. A new page in French history is being written with the New Popular Front!
The group was able to swiftly produce a manifesto, which was revealed on Friday. Key policies include reversing Macron's controversial pension reform by lowering the retirement age to 60 (currently 64), and raising the minimum wage to €1,500.
Who will lead?
Unlike the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (NUPES), which was created for the 2022 legislative elections and led by three-time presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI), this alliance still must decide who will lead it and become Prime Minister if it comes out on top.
The results of the European elections would point to Glucksmann as the lead candidate – his PS party received 14% of the votes. LFI took less than 10% and has political weight in this alliance than in 2022 with the NUPES. Nevertheless, LFI's Jean-Luc Mélénchon and François Ruffin, another leading figure of the party, have said they are willing to take on this role if chosen.
But Glucksmann said the controversial Mélenchon "will not be Prime Minister. It will be someone who has consensus." It is also possible that a lesser-known figure is chosen, such as the trade unionist and former General Secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT), Laurent Berger, who has Glucksmann's support.
Currently, the RN is well ahead in the polls (31%), followed by the New Popular Front (28%), and Macron's camp and its allies (18%), reports BFMTV.
