His life as leader of the socialist deputies, who unanimously appointed him on Wednesday, July 10, will be very different in this new legislature. The time of president of a group of thirty or so deputies is over. Here is Boris Vallaud, leader of 69 pink parliamentarians, at least… Because there are rumors of some upcoming recruitments, to swell the ranks and hold the upper hand against France Insoumise within the New Popular Front. 69 PS deputies, and not the least: on the benches, we will notice François Hollande, the former president of whom Vallaud was deputy secretary general at the Élysée between 2014 and 2016. Or the former Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau, his long-time friend with whom he fought during the pensions battle a year ago.
L’Express: In a letter to the French people, published in the PQR, Emmanuel Macron “asks all political forces that recognize themselves in republican institutions” to “build a solid majority, necessarily plural, for the country”. Are you in favor of this?
Boris Vallaud: I am in favor of the French people’s vote being heard. They refused to bring the far right to power and opposed it with a republican front, they inflicted a stinging defeat on Emmanuel Macron and put the New Popular Front in the lead in the National Assembly. This letter gives a partial and biased reading of reality. It is strange to call for a solid majority when yours is disintegrating before your eyes! The French no longer trust the President of the Republic to show them a path. They chose it in spite of him. Emmanuel Macron no longer has the upper hand. Power is not in the Élysée but in Parliament. This path is the New Popular Front in government to implement as quickly as possible the emergency social measures expected by the French people… And the republican front in the National Assembly to keep the democratic debate alive and initiate the major reforms that the country needs. And, I add, the social front in the country, to give back to the social partners and to social democracy its rightful place. Why shouldn’t we be able to debate our proposals and build the great republican compromises that make immortal laws? The French are now waiting for a break with Macronism. A break in substance by reversing the order of priorities, that is to say, being on the side of France that only has its work to live on and that does not always live off it, and not on the side of France that is doing well. And a break in form: respecting Parliament, intermediary bodies, local authorities and putting an end to presidential Caesarism.
Until then, the government will take care of current affairs. Is it urgent to wait to appoint a new government?
The situation is unprecedented and it is true that other countries more accustomed to relative majorities take time to form a government, but we have just experienced two trying election campaigns. There is impatience in the country as well as weariness. The French want to be reassured, they want to be governed. We are ready. Let the President appoint a government from the New Popular Front! Let the French people be spared the delaying tactics of the President of the Republic to keep control, to stifle the democratic momentum given to Parliament by the French people, or even to betray their vote.
“We are a driving force, autonomous, respected”
The socialist group in the National Assembly has given you back its confidence, unanimously appointing you president. The number of PS deputies has doubled. What will this change for you?
I want to express my gratitude to my colleagues who honour me with their trust. It is also a great responsibility in this period. The socialists are emerging considerably strengthened from these elections, our group is renewed, very representative of the diversity of the French territory and rich in talent. We are with our fellow socialist senators the first political force on the left in Parliament with more than 130 parliamentarians. This gives strength to our fights as much as it obliges us to meet the expectations of the French people: purchasing power, public services, housing, tax justice, daily security and the fight against drug trafficking… It is the left that is strengthened when the socialists are strengthened and I can only be delighted. This is the reason why the socialists are candidates to lead this popular front government.
Under the previous legislature, cohabitation was not always easy, especially with the rebels. How can we avoid falling back into the bad habits of Nupes?
We have not reconstituted the Nupes. There is no intergroup for example, the presidents meet as needed. The New Popular Front is something else, it is more than us and we do not own it! It also belongs to the people of the left, to the social forces, unions, to the associative fabric, to the citizens’ movements… And in this Popular Front, because the balances are different after the very good campaign of Raphaël Glucksmann as after these legislative elections, no one can consider the socialists as a supporting force any more. We are a driving force, autonomous, respected and whose line is clear. We will continue to affirm what we are, ardent socialists, intransigent republicans, while never renouncing the broadest possible union of the left without which we cannot change life.
“Let’s give back to our fellow citizens the power that Emmanuel Macron took from them”
Olivier Faure seems to be the frontrunner to be the candidate for Matignon. Was he the only one? Your name was mentioned too.
In recent weeks, several socialist names have emerged for this position and this shows that we are a party that has experience of the State and a lot of talent. Olivier Faure is the First Secretary of our party, he has all the legitimacy to be the Prime Minister resulting from these legislative elections and he has my support and my confidence.
Are you not mistaken about the subject? Given the configuration of the Assembly, none of the three coalitions has the numerical strength to reform. You will be the victim of blocking majorities…
Blocking majorities to thwart measures expected by the French? Increasing the minimum wage and salaries? Freezing the prices of basic necessities? Repealing the pension reform rejected by 80% of the French? Cancelling the unemployment insurance reform to give back control to the social partners? That would be betraying the French. Blocking majorities with the help of the far right? That would be betraying them again. We have all heard in this campaign about the difficult lives, the work that doesn’t pay, the end of the month that comes earlier and earlier, the difficulty in finding housing or getting medical care, filling up your fridge or your gas tank. We have all heard of the medical deserts, the faceless or distant public services, those who serve them and sometimes lose their taste and meaning… If we are not able to quickly and sustainably improve the lives of French women and men, then the Republican barrier will be nothing more than a poor barrier against the pacifist far right. That is why I say: a Popular Front government, a Republican Front parliament. Let us be intelligent enough not to betray our first-round voters, nor our second-round voters. A demanding government to implement an ambitious program, an intelligent and sufficiently adult parliament to find majorities around texts serving the general interest and the lives of the French. We are ready for it. Who could seriously oppose it with a blocking majority?
In fact, the lifespan of a government, whether right-wing or New Popular Front, is limited.
The only thing that should guide us is the search for justice and the general interest. We must change the way we do things. We are a great democracy, we must rise to this great challenge. Let us finally respect the social partners, social dialogue and parliamentary debate, trust local authorities, give the French people a voice. In short, let us give back to our fellow citizens the power that Emmanuel Macron took from them. And I also want to say to the French citizens, because they have shown that they are still a great political people with this participation as much as with this republican front: stay, be demanding but be there, we need to be carried and irrigated by civil society. There is the Popular Front, there is the republican front. There must also be a social front at our side, it is together that we will be able to largely unite to improve the lives of those for whom the end of the month is coming earlier and earlier.
How to govern then? By 49.3?
I do not wish it. No more than I believe it is desirable to govern by decree. We cannot blame Emmanuel Macron for brutalizing Parliament for 7 years and do the same. Let us not impose our measures, let us try to convince on our program and to unite. Let us accept dialogue, compromise without compromise. The French have affirmed their priorities in this campaign, purchasing power, public services, justice, daily tranquility, these are the ones that we support and we have strong proposals: if some want to present their solutions, we must look at them.
In a press release, Renaissance calls for “a coalition of projects ranging from social democrats to the right of government” and which excludes LFI. Is this possible?
No one can forget – as the President of the Republic has unfortunately done twice – the conditions of his election. For my part, I do not forget it and this obliges me towards my voters. The Republican Front is anything but the extreme right. All the parties, and first and foremost those of the New Popular Front, participated in this barrier against the extreme right. Mrs Borne, for example, benefited from the withdrawal of an LFI candidate against the National Rally. I ask a simple question to those who benefited from the Republican Front: will they apply it to the National Assembly and block it or will they, as in 2022, allow the extreme right to access positions of responsibility? Let us keep the commitment of the voters until the end.
Doesn’t urgency create necessity?
The only emergency is social. Let us put ourselves in a position to respond to the anger, the anxieties and the difficulties of the French people. Let us listen to what was said to us in this campaign. If we do not change life, we will be swept away.
Is a joint New Popular Front group possible?
No. Everyone will have their own group because everyone has their own sensitivity, their own history, their own autonomy and their own freedom.
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