Often announced moribund, the Nupes is looking for a second wind a year after its creation, while the challenge of the European elections and a potential common list looms, far from being unanimous.
The leaders of the Nupes formations (LFI, EELV, PS, PCF, Générations) must meet within the week to start writing the “act 2” of the alliance born in early May 2022 after the failure of the left, then divided, in the presidential election.
On the program: find how to expand this coalition which sent 151 deputies to the Assembly. And “draw a credible, positive alternative” for 2027, explains the head of EELV Marine Tondelier.
The parties should discuss, for example, the proposal by PS first secretary Olivier Faure to rework a “coalition contract” for the presidential election, an “agora” open to associations, unions and intellectuals, or LFI’s desire for a “direct membership in Nupes”.
But the rebellious especially hope to address the question of the European elections of 2024, at the heart of a dispute with EELV.
LFI is pushing for a common list in this election which is unfavorable to it, while the ecologists, for whom this is the flagship election, refuse to do so.
For the coordinator of LFI Manuel Bompard, in favor of a discussion “before the summer”, a common list will allow Nupes to “beat the far right and the macronists”.
But between federalist ecologists, socialist defenders of Europe, and rebellious and Eurosceptic communists, there are many differences.
In the Nupes agreement, “they have nevertheless found a balance”, consisting of agreeing to “not respect certain rules” European, remarks political scientist Bruno Cautrès to AFP. “A chiseled formula so that each formation finds a little of its sensitivity there”, he notes.
“We can agree on a European program of common actions” and put aside “the confrontation of visions on European architecture” affirms LFI MP Paul Vannier.
“La Nupes is expected at the turn by many voters, including environmentalists”, warns the rebellious Eric Coquerel. “Missing such an important meeting could have consequences for the future”, such as the municipal elections of 2026, he said.
Marine Tondelier is in despair: “Let’s stop saying that if we don’t go together it’s the end of the Nupes. Those who say that know that there will be no common list but want to make us bear the burden of division,” she told AFP.
She pleads for the Nupes to be inspired by the inter-union which led the fight against the pension reform. “They don’t agree on everything, but I’ve never seen the CGT tell the CFDT to do this or that”.
For her, if it is necessary for the left to be united in the 2027 presidential election to win, each party must first “get more voters”, “those who did not vote for us or abstained “.
“The Europeans are the elections where it has to be done”, she says, and the activists and sympathizers “demand to be able to put a green ballot in the ballot box”.
Even the rebellious proposal of an ecologist head of list does not appease: “it’s a false offer. Even with an ecologist in mind, it would be a Mélenchon list”, tackles MEP David Cormand.
However within EELV, the deputy Sandrine Rousseau defends a common list, and the former boss Julien Bayou is not completely opposed to it.
At the PCF, on the other hand, “we cannot imagine having on the same list people who defend everything and its opposite”, slice Ian Brossat, calling for “coherence” for the voters.
The PS, however divided on the subject internally, says it is ready to discuss a Nupes list, “but it is the substance that will determine the rest”, explains the secretary general of the PS Pierre Jouvet.
“If we see that we do not agree, we each make our lists and a non-aggression pact”, he specifies, assuring that the European project of the PS “is not negotiable, except at margin”.
But for Bruno Cautrès, only ecologists will make a separate list. After Anne Hidalgo’s 1.7% in the presidential election, “the PS cannot afford another electoral humiliation”.
29/04/2023 11:34:07 – Paris (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
