LThe left appeared divided, even torn, during the European election campaign. But, the day after the victory of the National Rally in the June 9 vote and the dissolution of the National Assembly, yesterday’s enemies decided to come together under a common entity: the New Popular Front. In less than four days, Insoumis, socialists, ecologists and communists defined a programmatic base for their candidates.
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They thus presented a “legislation contract” listing 150 measures to be implemented in the first hundred days of governance in the event of cohabitation. This program is guided by two key words: “purchasing power” and “peace”. Here are their main proposals.
Institutions
The New Popular Front carries one of Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s flagship proposals: the transition, in the medium term, to a VIe Republic. Until the emergence of this complex project, both politically and legally, the left bloc wants the repeal of article 49.3 – which allows the forceful passage of a government on a text – and the introduction of proportional representation in elections. Like the RN, the left supports the idea of creating a Citizen Initiative Referendum (RIC).
Purchasing power
Like the RN, the left wants to cancel the scheduled increase in gas prices planned for 1is July. But she is determined to go further by proposing, as the very first text of her government, a decree to freeze the prices of essential goods in food and energy (electricity, gas, fuel).
The left-wing coalition then plans the adoption of a “pact for purchasing power” with an increase in the minimum wage to 2,000 euros gross, compared to 1,766 euros gross today, an indexation of wages to inflation and an increase in the index point of civil servants by ten points. The New Popular Front also wants a “truly” free school with coverage of all additional costs (canteens, school transport, etc.).
Jobs and economy
In addition to the measures on wages provided for in the “purchasing power pact”, the left counts among its priorities the repeal of the unemployment insurance reform, which will be implemented at the beginning of July. The New Popular Front is talking about the organization of a national conference on work in order to debate plans to move to 32 hours for difficult or night jobs, or even the possibility of a sixth week of paid leave.
Like the RN, the left evokes the agricultural crisis at the start of the year. Among its proposals, it wants to guarantee a floor and remunerative price for producers and a tax on the superprofits of agro-industries and mass distribution.
Retirements
The New Popular Front plans to repeal the latest pension reform. The left bloc even wants to go further by returning to retirement at 60.
Taxation
Expensive – the Ministry of the Economy advances a sum of 286.8 billion euros – the New Popular Front reform package will have to be accompanied by financing measures. The left bloc intends to activate five levers:
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the income tax which would be reformed with the creation of 14 tax brackets for more “progressivity” and therefore “tax justice”;
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the taxation of corporate superprofits;
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the reinstatement of the wealth tax;
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the overhaul and strengthening of the “exit tax” which imposes taxes on taxpayers who move their tax domicile outside France;
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a major reform of the inheritance tax.
This last subject will be, by far, the most sensitive if the left comes to power. The New Popular Front project imagines “establishing a maximum heritage”.
Health
The New Popular Front wants to organize “from the first weeks” a major social conference on the hospital and wants the implementation of a multi-year plan for recruiting care and medico-social professionals. He also mentions, among his priorities, the fight against medical deserts, regulation of the pharmaceutical sector and the launch of an Old Age plan.
Immigration
The New Popular Front intends to unravel the “immigration law”, adopted by Parliament last winter. He wishes to “facilitate access to visas”, “regularize workers, students, parents of school children”, “establish the ten-year residence permit as a reference residence permit” and “create a climate displaced person status” .
Foreign politic
Defense and foreign policy are not quite the “reserved domain” of the head of state, the Constitution including ambiguities in this area. And if the RN is rather discreet on these questions, the New Popular Front intends to use all the legal tools at its disposal to influence France’s diplomatic policy. Initially opposed to this option, the rebels and the communists finally accepted the idea – always supported by socialists and ecologists – of “unwavering” support for the Ukrainian people, through additional arms deliveries, the cancellation of Ukraine’s external debt or even the sending of peacekeepers.
On the situation in the Middle East, the position of the left is more ambiguous due to strong internal dissensions. There is consensus on one proposal: everyone wants to bring forward a project for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. For the rest, it is more vague: the Rebels want sanctions against the Netanyahu government and an embargo on arms deliveries to Israel, while the socialists first want the reestablishment of a dialogue between the parties.
