The New Popular Ecological and Social Union, Nupes, hopes to mobilise enough votes to become a majority in the legislative election. Its leaders are evoking “an appetite” and an “emotion of hope”, even though dissension and dissent continue. Recent polls show that the new left alliance (LFI-EELV, PS, PCF, Generations, and PS) is ahead of the president majority in terms of voting intentions for June elections. This projection ranges from 160 to 195 seats.
Olivier Faure, who was the first secretary of Socialist Party, stated that “there is real hope.” The man who signed the agreement between LFI and the Socialist Party said, “People come to me, tell us we are with them.” Sandra Regol (number 2 of EELV), campaigning in Bas-Rhin’s 1st district, said, “During the towing we have a lot thanks”. “I have never seen anything like this. There is hope for something of this magnitude.”
Manuel Bompard (ex-campaign director for Jean-Luc Melenchon), believes that this mobilization works because of the suggestion of Insoumis, the leader: “Elect me Prime Minster.” This election will be the third round in the presidential election. He was placed 3rd with 22%. He explained that focusing on him helped make the electoral stakes clearer.
Yannick Jadot’s entourage, a former EELV candidate at the Elysee said: “We must talk to the 11,000,000 voters on the left and allow them to find their way there. Otherwise, the voters of Jadot might say that this game isn’t about them.” In practice Sandra Regol made the Insoumis tribune face on her leaflets. Julien Bayou, national secretary of EELV, wrote that “with the support from Jean-Luc Melenchon”. At the PS or PCF, however, we are content with the more frequent indication “candidate for the Nupes”.
Olivier Faure assures that “there are territories where Jean-Luc Melenchon is very prominent on the poster. You win. But this is not true everywhere.” Christophe Clergeau is the national secretary of PS.
This alliance is mocked by an LREM parliamentary source, which is “political Carpooling”, which should not last. The Nupes are promised a substantial national score but no translation into seats at a similar height due to the concentration LFI votes within certain constituencies. The Nupes’ strengths are concentrated in the 105 constituencies in which the rebellious leader was first in the presidential election.
Manuel Bompard summarizes that there are “big cities and working-class suburbs” but also “rural areas, traditionally on the right”. Clemence Guette, Nupes-LFI candidate in Val-de-Marne 2nd constituency, where Jean-Luc Melenchon received 45% of votes, is optimistic of winning. However, “the biggest challenge is abstention”, she explains.
