The campaign of the New Popular Front for the legislative elections is putting La France insoumise to the test. While François Ruffin frees himself from Jean-Luc Mélenchon, tension rises with the party leadership.
Break complete between François Ruffin and Jean-Luc Mélenchon? Since the outgoing deputy from the Somme returned to the campaign for the legislative elections, he has not hidden his weariness with the omnipresence of the founder of La France insoumise. “I know very well that this is not support, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, here. It is rather something that repels voters. I think it is an obstacle to the victory of the Popular Front,” declared François Ruffin Tuesday, on TF1, from his constituency.
A new clear observation from the Picard MP with regard to Jean-Luc Mélenchon, which triggered the ire of the latter’s relatives. “If Mélenchon and the FI had not invested in you, you would not exist,” replied outgoing MP Adrien Quatennens on X. “And today, shooting against him is your life insurance. However beautiful it may be , Picardy is not the country. Join the RN direct! We will save time and energy.”
“François Ruffin has chosen to break up with me,” Jean-Luc Mélenchon already lamented on June 20 in the columns of Figaro, after the adopted Picard had strongly protested against the non-inauguration of several of his fellow rebellious deputies. “I have never said bad things about him, and I will say no more today than yesterday. Besides, he was reinvested by LFI”, declared Mélenchon again, denouncing a “hurtful vindictiveness”.
The quarrel does not play into the hands of the New Popular Front, which appears divided in this campaign: a rather consensual figure in the left-wing coalition, François Ruffin loses the support of his own party, which could well undermine his ambition to become Prime Minister in the event of victory of the popular bloc in the legislative elections.
150 measures implemented over three successive periods. This is the guideline of the program of the New Popular Front, presented Friday June 14, 2024. LFI, EELV, the PS, the PCF have agreed on numerous commitments that they wish to implement if they obtain the majority in the National Assembly, on July 7, on the evening of the 2e round of legislative elections. This program would be implemented in three phases: first a series of decisions taken within 15 days after coming to power, then another within 100 days following the start of their governance and, finally, some during the following months.
It goes without saying that the New Popular Front has access to its main promises on purchasing power, which it intends to improve. For this, numerous increases will be decreed: that of the minimum wage to 1,600 euros net, that of the minimum contributory level to the level of the minimum wage, that of the minimum old age to the level of poverty only, that of the AAH to the level of the minimum wage, that of APL of 10%, while indexing salaries to inflation. At the same time, pension, unemployment and RSA reforms will be repealed.
Furthermore, faced with soaring energy bills (electricity, gas, fuel), the New Popular Front promises to remove the 10% tax on energy bills, to cancel the planned increase in the price of gas , to make the first KwH of electricity free and to put an end to electricity, heat and gas cuts.
Concerning Education, the left announces that it wants to repeal the “shock of knowledge” desired by Emmanuel Macron, preserve the educational freedom of teachers, work on total free schooling (Canteen, supplies, transport, extracurricular), but also reduce the number of students per class is 19, abolish Parcoursup, introduce meals for 1 euro at Crous.
Long awaited on the burning subject of international diplomacy, the left alliance revealed its position. On Ukraine, she wishes to maintain the delivery of arms and defend the sovereignty of the Ukrainian people, continue the seizure of the oligarchs’ assets in the banks and send peacekeepers, in particular to secure nuclear power plants.
As for the thorny subject of Israel and Gaza, the New Popular Front proposes to break with support for the government of Benjamin Netanyahu (Israeli Prime Minister), and to enforce the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which evokes a risk of genocide. He also wishes to act for the release of hostages held since the massacres, described as “terrorist”, by Hamas, and for the release of Palestinian political prisoners. He promises to support the International Criminal Court in its prosecution of Hamas leaders and the Israeli government and calls for immediate recognition of the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel on the basis of UN resolutions, with the holding of elections in Palestine.
Who are the New Popular Front candidates?
The New Popular Front coalition brings together several left-wing parties including La France insoumise (LFI), the Socialist Party (PS), the French Communist Party (PCF) and Europe-Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV), in addition to allied parties . The agreement on the distribution of candidates across the territory plans to send rebellious candidates to 229 constituencies, socialists to 175 others, ecologists to 92 territories and communists to the remaining 50.
Each constituency will therefore only present one candidate for the left, regardless of the political party to which he belongs. The agreement concluded by the members of the New Popular Front gives the advantage to La France insoumise, which has more than 50 more constituencies compared to the Socialist Party. The distribution was made according to the results of previous legislative elections and the chances of each party to win in the different constituencies against other left-wing forces, but also and above all against the presidential majority, the right and the extreme right. Note that in many constituencies, it is the outgoing deputies who are reinvested.