While the questions of agriculture, purchasing power or the war in Ukraine were shaping up to be the major themes of the European campaign, it is another subject, Gaza, which has occupied the discussions for several weeks. Insoumise France, although behind in voting intentions, managed to impose this theme, helped by repeated controversies, including in its own camp.
Conferences by Jean-Luc Mélenchon in universities canceled, hostile demonstrations on the sidelines of public meetings Insoumises, repeated complaints and recently summons for advocating terrorism : it is a storm called Gaza that La France insoumise is facing in this European campaign. But it was voluntarily that LFI threw itself into it. At the bottom of the wave for its positioning deemed at least insensitive during the Hamas attacks on October 7, a posture which definitively buried the alliance of the left, The rebels decided to instead make it a force. With a first strategic bet during the unveiling of their list on March 6: the presence in 7th position of the Franco-Palestinian jurist Rima Hassan, an influential voice on the conflict in the Middle East.
Rima Hassan, new rebellious muse
“ A blow “, as they say, which instantly changed the campaign: the rebels quickly noted the popularity of Rima Hassan, particularly in the electorates that LFI strategists seek to mobilize for the vote: residents of working-class neighborhoods, young people, and more broadly voters sensitive to the Palestinian cause. The head of the movement, Manuel Bompard, had also made his calculations: “ we are the list which suffers the most from abstention, any additional point of participation works in our favor. » Rima Hassan then becomes the new rebellious muse, put forward by Jean-Luc Mélenchon himself and overshadowing the head of the list, Manon Aubry.
A strategic shift that raises eyebrows internally and externally, because the bet is considered risky. Nothing says that the targeted electorate will be there. The rebellious management knows it and takes responsibility for it. “ Maybe this is a tipping point “, estimates LFI deputy Paul Vannier, “ we are still aiming for second place in the Europeans and we find that there is more militant enthusiasm in recent weeks. »
LFI tries to trap its ex-allies
But LFI also relishes the trap set for the ex-allies of Nupes. Faced with the pressure exerted against the rebels, socialists, ecologists and communists were forced to show their solidarity. While privately railing against“ a headlong flight coupled with victimization »which allows, according to a PS deputy, “ to divert attention from the difficulties of the rebel campaign “. Manon Aubry’s list is in fact clearly distanced from that of Raphaël Glucksmann in voting intentions. But LFI is already looking further ahead and hopes to consolidate its electoral base for 2027.“ These Europeans », insisted Jean-Luc Mélenchon,“ It’s the first round of the presidential election. »
A counter-offensive from the presidential camp?
The discontent was heard more loudly at the end of the week with this declaration from the head of the communist list to the Europeans, Léon Deffontaines: “ Insoumise France is soiling and trampling on the Palestinian fight for electoral purposes. I will never forgive them. » An accusation which caused a surge in the rebellious ranks, including Paul Vannier: “ those who talk about electoralism are racists, because for them pro-Palestinian = working-class neighborhoods = Muslims = anti-Semites, but we know how to separate things and we speak to the entire humanist camp. »
Still, the situation in the Middle East could gain further momentum in the electoral debate in the coming weeks: the presidential camp is indeed considering placing in an eligible position on the list of defense figures ofIsraelincluding Shannon Seban, the president of the Renaissance party in Seine-Saint-Denis, electoral territory of La France insoumise.
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