The outgoing deputy for Somme has cultivated his differences with Jean-Luc Mélenchon for years, both regarding his person and his ideological positioning.
What could Jean-Luc Mélenchon be thinking this Sunday evening? At the end of the first round of the early legislative elections, his main rival, the outgoing deputy of the 1st constituency of the Somme François Ruffin is heading towards the second round on a very risky slope. With 33.92% of the votes, the former director, relegated to second position, is distanced by the RN candidate, Nathalie Ribeiro-Billet, who obtains 40.69%.
If his ballot is unfavorable on paper, he could be saved by the Macronist candidate Albane Branlant, who came third with 22.68% of the votes. “Faced with the risk of the National Rally, which could have an absolute majority, I am withdrawing my candidacy this (Sunday) evening. I make a distinction between political adversaries and the enemies of the Republic.”she said. A few days ago, François Ruffin even feared that he would not be able to catch up. “Usually I have months to campaign, I plow, I sow and I reap in the ballot boxes”sighed the Insoumis, who once again wanted to outwit the “mathematics” and reproduce the «miracle» of his two previous elections to the National Assembly.
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A consummate breakup
Elected to the Lower House in 2017, François Ruffin has cultivated his differences with the former three-time presidential candidate for years. Both on his person and on his positioning, which he pleads to be less community and more social.
A candidate for the post of Prime Minister in the event of a victory for the left, he had estimated at the beginning of the week that the tutelary figure of La France Insoumise was a “obstacle to the victory of the Popular Front”. “It’s not support here for Jean-Luc Mélenchon, it’s rather something that repels voters”he had indicated on TF1. The break between the two men has been consummated since the «purge» of the “rebels” during the mid-June investitures of La France insoumise.
