Municipal 2026: in Saint-Etienne, the plural left yes but for lack of agreement at this stage

A first communist press release, dated 10 days ago, had made it clear that the agreement, on the left, was still far from being acquired. The PS has followed up with a proposal from primaries to designate the head of the list and program priorities. LFI and most environmentalists do not want to demonstrate, in turn, in a joint press release which associates the collective “Popular Sainté” their desire to “build the union” and to win “together”. Future head of the list of a union or not, the socialists will announce their heads or leader on May 21.

“No, no, it is not a break. But yes, it is true that there is this sticking point between us and the PS to designate the head of the list ”recognizes Olivier Longeon, elected EELV opposition, contacted Monday by IF Saint-Etienne following this common press release published with LFI and the left-wing collective “popular”. Who to lead the team of a plural left like never before? What is more in a context of extreme tensions at the national level between LFI and the PS? This should not be the subject at this stage, not yet, we slip Olivier Longeon consistent with the tone of the press release fallen on Monday just before … a new meeting of all the forces on the left. Surely not by coincidence therefore after that of the PC ten days ago, giving the first indications of a trampling around the implementation of this union, then that of the PS assuming its will to bring out of its ranks the new mayor of Saint-Etienne.

In their press release, the socialists offered a week ago to decide on the head of the list via local citizen primaries, also, other votes, specific to the prioritization of program themes. The idea should officially be subject to their possible future partners during a new meeting, so on Monday, May 5. The publication common to LFI, EELV and popular Sainté demonstrating their determination to make it evokes neither the question of the head of the list, nor does not quote the PS only once, or even the PC, to speak only of intentions and tracks (see box below). No coincidence either… We already knew that the rebellious and popular Sainté were not favorable to primaries, as confirmed on Monday Olivier Longeon. What about environmentalists? “Personally, no, like most of us. Above all, I think, because experience shows that primaries are systematically a source of conflict damaging for the future. But some are for. So, I cannot give a position in the name of all. »»

Achoppements on the program too

According to Johann Cesa, the first federal secretary of the PS Loire with whom we exchanged on Tuesday evening, the proposal of primaries was refused by their potential partners on Monday. Has its amazement: “We believe that a large citizen consultation can launch a dynamic around a union, especially since it is a question of submitting, program ideas, while arbitrating the debate definitively on the head of the list. Rather than calling for sympathizing citizens, we are told that it is better to decide between parties and collective and also that “the PS would necessarily emerge victorious” … so we should not do it? Despite this press release of popular Sainté, LFI and EELV, we are all and always at the same stage. They do not advance more on their side, including on the program, if only on the subject ZFE for example (and on public transport, the PS would like free, not EELV which estimates that development investments prevent it, editor’s note). »

Whether in the end, the candidate of a union, the socialists will in any case announce their number 1 on May 21, said Johann Cesa. But EELV also holds there, Olivier Longeon pointing out that the PS had its “circo” in the 2024 legislative elections. “We are retorted as an argument the electoral weight in the last municipal elections. If we want to go on this field results in local elections, we are very first on one or the other in recent years, we on regional. »» Remains only ten months from the ballot, there is still time, on the side of the Stéphanoise left to get along, get confused, re -seek, or even confuse. Not to mention the possible impact of the national political scene on a locality like Saint-Etienne. In 2020, the merger of the PS and related / communist list with that of environmentalists had only reached the end of the 2^e tour.

More speaking if we look at the side of the right and a little further in the rear view mirror: for the 2014 municipal elections, Gaël Perdriau had declared himself officially very early, from March 2013, striking the leadership on the UMP side in a relatively surprising way: the majority of his mandate 2008/2014 in the opposition had not especially, at least publicly, designated as the obvious number 1. That is to say center right embodied by the Ziegler / Artigues ticket was firmly part in the countryside, from July to November. Before finally giving in to its common banner. There, we know the continuation well.