The divorce is pronounced. The New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA) split in two at the end of its 5th Congress this weekend, the current of historical figures Philippe Poutou and Olivier Besancenot taking note of its political disagreements with the defenders of a line judged too “sectarian”.
“We had been in a situation for a long time where there were several parties within the party, with several orientations and several militant practices, and we who took the initiative for the separation. We couldn’t, we didn’t want to continue like this, ”explained Sunday during a press conference Philippe Poutou, candidate of this small far-left party in the last three presidential elections.
“It’s a fundamental political choice”
“We decide to continue the NPA by acting on the separation with these groups”, specified in a press release the delegates of its current, that of the platform B which had collected 48.5% of the votes of the 2,000 members of the party before this congress. .
“It is never with lightheartedness that we arrive at this political observation, but it is a fundamental political choice, that of reconnecting with what was the initial state of mind of the NPA in 2009 in a context which has obviously completely changed”, added the other presidential candidate Olivier Besancenot (2002 and 2007).
“A fight for legitimacy” around the NPA
The party spokesperson pleaded for “a will that is both radical and unitary”, always “from an anti-capitalist perspective” but with greater “availability” to LGBT, feminist and ecological struggles. With this separation, “the NPA has chosen not to become a front of tendencies and organizations, nor a political sect”, he added, without commenting on rapprochement with the left, and in particular LFI .
With platform C, which had won 45.3% of the vote, there is now “a fight for legitimacy” around the NPA, spokesperson Christine Poupin admitted during this press conference, while stressing that its current B is “the most numerous” and claiming “historical and political legitimacy”.
“An irresponsible act! “, according to Gaël Quirante
“Spokespersons Olivier Besancenot and Philippe Poutou are breaking with the NPA. An irresponsible act! “, denounced Sunday on Twitter one of the spokespersons of the platform C, Gaël Quirante, who claims in particular the support of the youth sector of the NPA. “Everywhere the committees, federations, branches of the NPA must come together and take a clear stand,” he demanded.
In a press release published on Sunday evening, the supporters of Platform C assure that “the NPA will continue despite the departure of its main spokespersons” and indicate that “from Monday”, they “will bring together all the authorities of the NPA”.