The rebels and the Communists formalize their agreement

The “New popular ecological and social union” wanted by the Insoumis is making great strides. LFI formalized this Tuesday an agreement with the PCF for the legislative elections. The Communists follow in the footsteps of EELV, which has already joined this left-wing coalition.

“We wish to federate on the basis of an ambitious program all the forces which share it, while respecting their plurality and their autonomy”, writes the PCF in a press release.

No mention of nuclear

“On May 3, 1936, the Popular Front won the legislative elections. On May 3, 2022, we are coming together in a New Popular Ecological and Social Union,” tweeted party national secretary Fabien Roussel.

Minimum wage at 1,400 euros net, salary increase, retirement at 60, price freeze, ecological planning: the two parties have agreed on many programmatic points. But they do not mention the exit from nuclear power, which the Communists are opposed to. It is however mentioned in the agreement signed between LFI and EELV, according to Sandra Regol, number 2 of the ecologists.

An “intergroup” for joint work

According to André Chassaigne, president of the group of communist deputies, the PCF obtained, after a tough negotiation, 50 constituencies including 11 outgoing and five winnable “in conquest”: Vierzon, Dax, Denain, Creil and Lens-Avion. The agreement ratifies the objective of this union, namely obtaining a majority in the National Assembly and the appointment of Jean-Luc Mélenchon to Matignon.

It stipulates that “the pluralist majority that we want to constitute will be based on parliamentary groups from each of the components and will be equipped with an intergroup to complete and continue this joint work after the election”. Ideologically close, allied to the presidential elections of 2012 and 2017, rebels and communists had stood apart in the National Assembly between 2017 and 2022, and Fabien Roussel ran for the presidential election (2.3%).