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The French opposition is heading to fulfill its threat of cornering the Government in the Legislative. France Insumisa, the party of the former presidential candidate and leader of the extreme left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, reached an agreement with Europe Ecology The Greens to join forces for the legislative elections on June 12 and 19, which has been baptized by the politician as the “third round”. However, President Emmanuel Macron still has political allies with whom he could stop his opponents in parliament.
The “third round” has begun, President Emmanuel Macron’s opponents announced after he was re-elected in the second round on April 24. Now, the political maneuvers to try to achieve part of the legislative power are consolidating.
The La France Insumisa (LFI) party, whose candidate in the last presidential elections, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, was the most voted on the left, reached this May 2 a historic electoral agreement for the legislative elections next June with Europa Ecología Los Greens (EELV).
After weeks of negotiations, for the first time a left-wing caucus achieves a unified list with the ecologists to stand in the elections that seek to renew the French Parliament. Behind Macron and his far-right opponent Marine Le Pen, Mélenchon and the Greens were the two most voted formations in the first presidential round on April 10.
“Historic moment. The deal between LFI and EELV is done,” said legislator Adrien Quatennens, one of the campaign coordinators for La Francia Insumisa.
The agreement of the two political benches includes the goals of lowering the retirement age to 60, raising the minimum wage and limiting the prices of essential productssaid Manon Aubry, member of La Francia Insumisa before the European Parliament.
In a joint statement, LFI and EELV indicated that both blocs seek to put an end to the “neoliberal” course of the European Union (EU), for which they would point to “a new project at the service of ecological and social construction.”
The move comes after Mélenchon, who with 8 million votes came third in the first presidential round and narrowly missed the second round behind far-right populist Marine Le Pen, called on all parties leftists to join forces with his movement to “elect him as prime minister.
The union of forces seeks to counteract Macron’s power when it comes to governing
The new alliance is key to counteracting the power of maneuver that the president, considered center-right, would have to approve the proposals of his government program. Among them, the controversial project to increase the retirement age from 62 to 65 years.
But the union of forces against the Executive would not stop there, since deep down other possible agreements with the Socialist Party (PS) and with the Communist Party of France (PCF) are being considered.
Although these last options are not yet confirmed, during the protests on Sunday, May 1, in the framework of Labor Day, Mélenchon was also seen hugging Olivier Faure, the leader of the Socialist Party of France, a sign of potential unity, after talks between the LFI and the Socialists stalled last week.
However, it is not clear if they will be able to work out their differences before announcing a possible deal. Mélenchon, once a member of the Socialists before leaving the party over a dispute over his position on the European Union (EU), has sparked a long-running feud within the left. The Socialists are more supportive of the EU than the former presidential candidate, considered Eurosceptic.
Manuel Bompard, spokesman for the leftist campaign, assured local radio that talks with other parties would continue “in the next few hours.”
In addition, the extreme right, led by Marine Le Pen, who lost the Presidency to Macron for the second time, is trying to form coalitions to defeat the ruling party La República en Marcha in the parliamentary vote.
What real options does the left have to corner the ruling party in the Legislative?
Despite the announcements, more endorsements will be needed and the left-wing leader is still far from becoming prime minister and potentially limiting Macron’s policymaking space, political analysts say.
According to the first opinion polls prior to the parliamentary elections, a leftist alliance would not achieve a majority against the bloc that supports Macron.
Mélenchon’s nascent left-wing coalition would need to win a majority of the 577-seat National Assembly, the Lower House of the French Parliament, in the elections that will be held in two rounds, on June 12 and 19. Less than six weeks into the campaign, a power split between Macron and Mélenchon seems unlikely for now.
In addition, the advantages that the pro-European president has are highlighted. The president’s political movement, La República en Marcha, and its centrist allies together account for more than 300 seats in the current composition of Parliament, making it the favorite to win the majority again.
Likewise, Macron hopes that after being re-elected for a second five-year term, a sufficiently large number of voters in the 577 districts will not want to tie his hands by leaving him with a legislature whose majority is in the hands of the opposition.
Some former socialist ministers and other center-left figures have already announced their support for the re-elected head of state.
With Reuters, AP and EFE
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