Europe, nuclear power, constituencies. In this order or another, three main subjects occupied, the 1er and on May 2, the left-wing parties engaged in negotiations with La France insoumise in order to present a common program and a united front in the legislative elections.
- Fabien Roussel ready to temporize on nuclear in exchange for winnable constituencies
The leader of the French Communist Party (PCF), credited with 2.28% of the votes in the first round of the presidential election, said he was ready on Monday to ” put aside “ the nuclear issue in the“legislative agreement” under negotiation with La France insoumise.
In his program for the Elyséecandidate Roussel wrote that he saw in the atom a ” main quality ” from France for “the production of low-carbon electricity”. He wanted the construction of at least six new pressurized water reactors (EPR), and encourage research on nuclear fusion. On the contrary, Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s program for the presidential election says quite clearly that “this source of energy must be abandoned”, listing his faults : “Imported ore, technological fragility, risk of accident, waste problem…” He proposes to put an end to all EPR projects, acknowledging however that “the nuclear fleet will not be able to close overnight”.
“We will put aside the annoyances”, said Mr. Roussel on Franceinfo, assuring that if the Communists obtain a group with the Assembly, this one will be able to always put the subject in debate. To do this, at least fifteen deputies are needed. LFI has indeed proposed to the PCF to leave it the candidacy in fifty constituencies, but the entourage of Mr. Roussel considers that, among them, only the eleven already held by the Communists are really favorable. The subject should come back to the table during the new round of negotiations scheduled for Monday afternoon.
Other programmatic positions have apparently moved more easily. “We sign at 1,400 euros” for the rise in the minimum wage, assured Fabien Roussel, joining the proposal of LFI, when he himself was the best bidder, offering 1,500 euros net. As for pensions, the Roussel candidate’s program was already aligned with the “rebellious” proposal setting the legal age of departure at full rate at 60 years.
- Between LFI and environmentalists, a very small common denominator on Europe
Between La France insoumise and Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV), the question of Europe caused friction. It seemed delicate to associate ecologists “pro-European” and even “federalists”as their national secretary, Julien Bayou, still called them on Monday, with “rebellious” willingly critical of Brussels.
After having initially said for a long time that he would resort as much as necessary, if he were elected, to the “opt-out”, a European provision which allows a Member State of the Union to ignore certain Community policies, Jean-Luc Mélenchon began to talk more often about “disobedience” towards treaties, a term that is both vaguer and more explosive. Gold, “we will never put our finger in the gears of an exit from Europe, an exit from the euro, a disintegration of the European project”, warned Mr. Bayou on RMC Monday.
How to justify then, on this point, the agreement with LFI recorded in the evening of Sunday? By the shared desire – albeit still imprecise – for a reform of the European institutions. “Are we satisfied with the functioning of Europe currently? The answer is no. Do we want to reorient Europe? The answer is yes “said the national secretary of the Greens, for whom “The status quo in Europe is currently a problem”. The two parties therefore agreed, in the press release announcing their agreementwith a precise formulation that allows “disobey” in Brussels, but still within the framework of ” Right wing state “.
Regarding pensions, EELV now aligns itself with the “rebellious” proposal of departure at 60, while the presidential candidate, Yannick Jadot, promoted the maintenance of the 62 years in force. On RMC, Julien Bayou explained that ecologists have taken the time to analyze the “figures” : “The Pensions Orientation Council says that there is a return to balance [du système des pensions] in fifteen years and maybe even before”he added, to justify that the horizon of 60 years now seems to him within reach of reform.
On the side of the electoral map, the ecologists obtained from LFI to have free rein in a hundred constituencies, including five in Paris.
- The fracturing of the Socialist Party continues
Ongoing negotiations between LFI and the PS, it is the socialists who do not want them who talk about them the most. “The big winner of the presidential election is the revolt and radicalism, the socialists are in the process of lining up on this line, it’s a submission”vilified Stéphane Le Foll, the socialist mayor of Le Mans, on Monday on RTL. “The PS ranks behind the rebellious who has succeeded”judges the former Minister of Agriculture, before attacking the first secretary of the PS: “Olivier Faure only thinks about the constituencies. »
Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, predecessor of Mr. Faure at the head of the PS, published an open letter on Sunday referring in particular to LFI’s desire to “leaving the European treaties”to bring retirement back to 60 and to launch “impractical vertiginous expenses”.
Asked by The world in the Parisian procession of 1er-MayOlivier Faure had not detailed the progress of negotiations with LFI. “We do not negotiate at all costs, we negotiate with our convictions”he pointed out, adding: “Will we come up against elements in the end that prevent us from moving forward? I don’t know, but in any case, I want to go all the way. »
At the local level, PS candidates have already been invested, such as Carole Delga, one of the fiercest socialist opponents of Jean-Luc-Mélenchon, in Occitania, which promises to complicate the discussions, which continue on Monday.