The leader of La France Insoumise (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, said on France3 on Sunday 17 March, the day after his party’s first political meeting ahead of the European elections, that a union with the other parties of the left would be possible “if the people of the left vote for [LFI]. If they don’t vote for us, there will be no union”, he added.
The partnership with the French Socialist Party, led by head of list candidate Raphaël Glucksmann, seems to be thoroughly compromised at a time when differences between LFI and PS-Place publique are apparent on a number of issues, in particular the war in Ukraine and the situation in Gaza.
At LFI’s first meeting the day before, on Saturday 16 March, Jean-Luc Mélenchon said that his party was the only one to defend peace against “war-mongering” political groups. The founder of LFI and candidate in 79th position on the electoral lists for the European elections also insisted that there is “no military way out of the war in Ukraine”.
“Against tyrants and warmongers, we will remain the camp of peace and international law”, added Manon Aubry, the candidate heading the LFI list.
The MEP, who has co-chaired The Left in the European Parliament since 2019, also took advantage of her address to some 3,000 supporters gathered in Villepinte to return to her favourite themes.
In addition to the geopolitical situation, she reiterated the importance, in her view, of reversing the EU’s free trade agreements in order to preserve “fair competition”, and of opposing the far-right party (see EUROPE 13358/20) Rassemblement National, which currently leads the polls in France. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)