François Hollande is a candidate for the legislative elections in Corrèze, the PS “takes note” of his investiture

Former President of the Republic François Hollande created a surprise on Saturday June 15 by announcing his candidacy for the legislative elections in the first constituency of Corrèze, thus making his return to political life. The former mayor of Tulle must speak during the day.

If Mr. Hollande’s entourage affirmed on Saturday morning that the former head of state would be a candidate under the banner of the New Popular Front, the announcement seems to have taken the Socialist Party (PS) by surprise.

” I did not know “said in the afternoon the first secretary of the PS, Olivier Faure, present in the Parisian demonstration against the extreme right, while noting the candidacy of Mr. Hollande: “ All those who adhere to (the) project and who are ready to defend together the colors of this New Front are welcome, so I take note and I hope that it will carry out an active campaign.

“François Hollande declared this week that he recognized himself in the approach and project of the New Popular Front. Under these conditions, we take note of the choice of the Corrèze federation to invest in it”then wrote the PS on X. The former socialist deputy is thus invested in this constituency which had initially been allocated to the mayor of Tulles Bernard Combes.

“Pathetic” for Eric Dupond-Moretti

Thursday evening, the former head of state, who is hated by part of the radical left and maintains frosty relations with Mr. Faure, said he “favorable” to unite on the left under the banner of the New Popular Front to block the far right.

He had pleaded, in the second round, for support for the candidates best placed to “avoid the extreme right”even if they are “LR or the presidential majority”, defending a principle of “withdrawal” from the left if necessary. “We must all show responsibility”, “we must do everything to ensure that the extreme right does not come to power in France”François Hollande insisted.

The outgoing “rebellious” deputy François Ruffin, one of the architects of the New Popular Front, seemed circumspect about the idea of ​​Mr. Hollande being invested under this banner. “Can we believe that Mr. Hollande was converted overnight? That suddenly he is in favor of retirement at 60, that suddenly he is in favor of indexing wages to inflation? I doubt “he asked himself.

“What I am delighted about is that François Hollande intervened to say that he supported the union and the New Popular Front”reacted the general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet, on BFM-TV.

The Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, joked about the candidacy of the former president, which he found ” pathetic “. “I suggest to Mr. Hollande to take Philippe Poutou [du Nouveau Parti anticapitaliste, candidat dans l’Aude] as a substitute, it will make a very nice team”he mocked.