Although the time has come for unity, tensions persist within the New Popular Front. The leader of France Insoumise (LFI) Jean-Luc Mélenchon affirmed on Saturday that the European elections had decided in his favor his ideological “divergence” with François Ruffin, refusing to “eliminate himself or impose himself” on Matignon if the left won the legislative elections.
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“I have to say it: (François Ruffin) took responsibility for a break,” said the boss of LFI on France 5, about the outgoing deputy from the Somme, who broke with the rebellious leadership after the latter’s decision not to reinvest other outgoing elected officials with discordant voices, Raquel Garrido and Alexis Corbière.
“I tried to back off as much as I could so that there would be no conflict (but) the guy jumps on me,” lamented Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Asked whether François Ruffin was still at LFI, he replied: “I don’t know, you will ask him the question. I don’t exclude anyone.”
The leader of LFI also considered that the “divergence” between him and François Ruffin had been “settled” during the recent European elections. Attributing to François Ruffin a “social democratic” line which he opposed to his own consisting of “breaking with the logic of the system”, he considered that the recent European elections had proven him right.
“I do not eliminate myself and I do not impose myself”
According to him, the “social democratic bloc” formed by the Greens and the socialists lost 440,000 votes in the European elections, compared to 2019, while “we, the Insoumis, from one European election to the next, we win 1 million votes.
Asked about the possibility of him becoming Prime Minister after the legislative elections, Mélenchon replied “of course”. “I don’t eliminate myself and I don’t impose myself. I think it’s a formula that is quite respectful of the collective,” he declared. And while the head of the PS/Public Place list in the European elections Raphaël Glucksmann had assured that Jean-Luc Mélenchon would not be able to settle in Matignon, the latter replied: “we must not speak like that too quickly. We’re going to talk.”
Ten days ago, the founder of La France Insoumise said he felt “capable” of being Prime Minister in the event of victory for the New Popular Front made up of LFI, the PS, the Communist Party and the environmentalists.
François Ruffin also assured that he “feels capable” of becoming Prime Minister if the left wins the early legislative elections.
