New popular front: the rebels of LFI and the socialists on the verge of rupture

This is probably no surprise. The unnatural alliance between the Insoumis, a party of permanent protest, and the Socialist Party, the government party, was bound to end up breaking down at some point. This weekend, we saw the beginnings of it, the break seems to be on the way.

Three days after the refusal of the Socialists to vote on the motion of censure against the government of François Bayrou, Jean-Luc Mélenchon was the guest of RTL and Public Senate on Sunday. The leader of the Insoumis estimated that “the Socialist Party is no longer a partner”but simply “an ally, and again, of circumstance”.

“We feel betrayed”

The former presidential candidate went further in his criticism of the socialists. “We are supposed to be allies and partners. One of the partners engages in surprise discussions with the government and we are not informed in any way”he added.

“We are bruised because we feel betrayed, that’s obvious“. On Francinfo and France Inter, Raphaël Glucksmann, Place publique MEP, estimated that “our political offer” must be built “without La France insoumise and Jean-Luc Mélenchon”.

“The socialists have challenged the posture of LFI”

But it is especially from François Hollande that the blow is the most painful. In an interview with La Tribune, the former President of the Republic believes that the Socialist Party now constitutes “the central pole of the Assembly since nothing can be done without them or against them” and has “the key until 2027”.

He judges that by refusing to vote on the motion of censure filed by LFI, the socialists “have challenged the posture of LFI whose only perspective is to block institutional life and provoke a presidential election”. Concluding that “since LFI announced that its leader would be a candidate in the presidential election no matter what”each component of the NFP “has necessarily regained his freedom”.