On Sunday, socialist dissidents against Nupes were defeated in the first round legislative elections. This was despite the support from party elephants. It strengthened the position of Olivier Faure, First Secretary, who had placed his bets on the left alliance with LFI. These dissidents, who were opposed to the agreement for ideological reasons or believed they should have been invested as they were more established locally, maintained their candidacy against suitors of the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (“Nupes”), which brings together LFI and PS with EELV and PCF and Generations.
The Socialist Party claims that only three of its 70 candidates have qualified, but it boasts that it had 59 of them invested by Nupes in round two. Olivier Faure was regarded by his adversaries as the party’s gravedigger. Nupes “has shown its ability to create an enthusiasm on the left”, and “validates,” its unity strategy. He declared Monday that the results were evident in France 2.
The only exception is that the outgoing deputy of Pyrenees – Atlantiques David Habid has no majority candidate against him and is leading his constituency ahead of the candidate for Nupes Jean Francois Baby. Laurent Panifous, outgoing deputy Nupes LFI Michel Larive, is in Ariege. Christophe Proenca will be facing in a triangular with Ensemble-Renaissance Huguette Tiegna and Thierry Grossmy in the Lot.
Some other candidates are doing well, which the PS doesn’t consider dissidents as they don’t have their party card anymore. Bertrand Petit in Pas-de-Calais faces an RN candidate. David Taupiac, in the Gers, went on leave from PS but whom the Party claims it supports, faces a majority candidate.
It is also the slaughter: Francois Mitterrand Jerome Lambert, the outgoing deputy, is taken to Charente-Maritime. The seven dissidents from Herault were defended by Christophe Delafosse (socialist mayor of Montpellier). The dissidents of Dordogne and Seine-Maritime, Meuse or Cotes d’Armor are no more, says Sebastien Vincini (national secretary of the PS), who regrets that these candidacies, sometimes for the benefit the RN-Ensemble duels, “have contributed towards dividing the left” in some constituencies.
Corinne Narassiguin is number 2 in the PS. The result of the first round of voting “marks failure of those who had campaigned under the theme ‘Nupes Is not my left’.” They are seen as dividers. This is a reference to Carole Delga who was president of the Occitanie Region, which is hostile to the union and who mobilized herself on the ground in support of the dissidents. Ms. Delga called on Sunday evening to “block far-right candidates” by voting for the most qualified candidate, regardless their label.
It is also the weaker refractory PS Elephants at Nupes who are being weakened. Annick Taysse, the candidate supported by Francois Hollande in Correze’s stronghold, was swept away. Also, most of the people Bernard Cazeneuve, former Prime Minister, had sent to help, and four dissidents who were supported by Stephane Le Foll, mayor of Le Mans, in Sarthe, were also swept away. Lamia El Araraje, who was supported by Lionel Jospin, lost Paris to a disappointing 17.5%, leaving him with little chance against Insoumise Danielle Simonnet (48%) in the second round.
Philippe Doucet is a member of the PS opposed the Nupes’ minority current and acknowledges that the “dynamic of the rally” is strong and that certain dissidents were not “important”. He concludes that “The legislative elections are now totally presidential”. He warns that we will find out on Sunday whether the second round is an anti-Melenchon referendum and how many PS deputies it will have.
