the “new primary” of the left, Zemmour copies Fillon – L’Express

9:02 p.m., Sunday June 9. France falls into a dizzying unknown, after the presidential announcement of the dissolution of the National Assembly. Since then, each day has had its share of surprises. This Tuesday, June 18, the question of the conflict in the Middle East, very present during the European campaign, is agitated by La France insoumise which has little taste for the media outing of its socialist ally, Olivier Faure. On the far right, while Eric Zemmour lacks new ideas, Jordan Bardella is finding it increasingly difficult to hide the weaknesses of his program.

The return of the day: when Gaza re-invites itself into the debate

After its media omnipresence during the European elections, the day after the dissolution it seemed to enter a period of reserve. No airplay, no interviews, no messages on X – just reposts – no public appearances. Until yesterday, Monday evening. Under the eye of cameras and hundreds of LFI activists, Rima Hassan returned to Montreuil for the meeting of the New Popular Front (NFP).

And with it, the fight for Palestine, brought to the stage through anaphora. “On the left, no one should tremble at the idea of ​​defending Palestine and its liberation. On the left, no one should tremble at the idea of ​​naming systemic racism and denouncing it.” A tackle addressed to the allies of the rebels within the NFP, who, she judges, are abandoning the Palestinian question.

She is also not the only one. Waking up this Tuesday, Jean-Luc Mélenchon wonders about Agora X: “Why doesn’t Macron talk about Gaza anymore? Why doesn’t he do anything anymore?” And uses the terms tailor-made by the rebels to describe the conflict in the Middle East, triggered after the terrorist attacks of October 7: “The massacre continues. The Palestinians are exterminated.” Without forgetting to draw out one of the flagship measures of the NFP for these legislative elections: the “immediate” recognition of the State of Palestine.

The flop of the day: the election of the Prime Minister by the deputies

Elect a Prime Minister. What a funny idea. The concept, invented by Jean-Luc Mélenchon during the 2022 legislative campaign, is however about to be introduced in Italy… And perhaps even in France. Except that he would be elected not by popular vote, but by the deputies. In any case, this is the proposal put forward this morning by Olivier Faure on BFMTV. The boss of the PS pleaded for the organization of a vote in the event of victory of the New Popular Front in the early elections.

An initiative which had the gift of annoying his allies. First and foremost Manuel Bompard. Invited a few hours later on the same set, the coordinator of La France insoumise brushed aside the idea, recalling that it would be up to “the political group with the largest number of deputies within our coalition to make a proposal […] For my part, I stick to this formula.” Xthe former LFI deputy for Val-d’Oise, Paul Vannier, went further, accusing Olivier Faure “of inventing a new primary and of denying (s) his own word”.

The turnarounds of the day: when Bardella rows

It doesn’t feel good to be in Jordan Bardella’s shoes these days. The one who had built his image on his confidence, on the obviousness with which he outlined measures that sounded so performative to the ear, now finds himself having to justify his cascading renunciations.

It all starts with the pension reform, which will not finally be repealed until the fall. Understand, as a good father, Jordan Bardella prefers to wait for the famous “audit”, ordered from an independent commission which will have to flush out “the corpses” left after the seven years of rule of Macronie. This is followed by the postponement of the reduction in VAT on “essential goods”, according to the formula. Marine Le Pen’s campaign promise which does not seem viable as it stands. Understand, “public finances are in a catastrophic state”. Let’s wait for “the month of October, and the vote on the budget for the year 2025”, evades Jordan Bardella.

The reduction in VAT from 20% to 5.5% on essential products, however, has the merit of having an application perspective. Postponed indefinitely, the abolition of income tax for those under 30 did not benefit from the same privilege. Understand, Jordan Bardella is “not going to do in three months a presidential project that was planned for five years.” Except that by abandoning its flagship measures, it is not the Macronie program that the RN will unravel, but its own…

Plagiarism of the day: Zemmour, or making something new with something old

Eric Zemmour recycles an eight-year-old slogan for these early legislative elections. “The courage of truth”, or the ego trip borrowed from the then right-wing primary candidate, François Fillon, visibly inspired by the famous work of Michel Foucault.

Thus, like François Fillon in 2016, Eric Zemmour in 2024 has the presumption both to claim to have “the truth”, and to be moved by the courage to say it. The fact remains that by selling the “truth” to his voters, the president of Reconquête also plagiarizes the brands’ strategy which consists of selling consumers the “quality” of their products. Voters or consumers, whatever, in both cases, they expect no less.