Zürcher Nachrichten - French left closes ranks to hobble Macron in parliamentary vote

EUR -
AED 4.18829
AFN 79.786672
ALL 98.228214
AMD 437.536589
ANG 2.041031
AOA 1045.788824
ARS 1346.278084
AUD 1.755342
AWG 2.046293
AZN 1.943285
BAM 1.955964
BBD 2.306593
BDT 139.611675
BGN 1.955964
BHD 0.430736
BIF 3400.884402
BMD 1.140445
BND 1.469323
BOB 7.89366
BRL 6.340197
BSD 1.142396
BTN 97.81318
BWP 15.283278
BYN 3.738513
BYR 22352.729264
BZD 2.294692
CAD 1.561897
CDF 3284.48308
CHF 0.937613
CLF 0.027773
CLP 1062.428846
CNY 8.199175
CNH 8.198291
COP 4698.19289
CRC 582.348699
CUC 1.140445
CUP 30.221802
CVE 110.274222
CZK 24.805136
DJF 203.427012
DKK 7.463474
DOP 67.435639
DZD 150.181759
EGP 56.373714
ERN 17.106681
ETB 155.989545
FJD 2.566919
FKP 0.842834
GBP 0.843026
GEL 3.113861
GGP 0.842834
GHS 11.708979
GIP 0.842834
GMD 80.972027
GNF 9901.828048
GTQ 8.778734
GYD 239.360017
HKD 8.948965
HNL 29.790491
HRK 7.518163
HTG 149.802527
HUF 403.934788
IDR 18607.905823
ILS 3.993555
IMP 0.842834
INR 97.833681
IQD 1496.525148
IRR 48027.010022
ISK 144.118521
JEP 0.842834
JMD 182.445257
JOD 0.808621
JPY 165.181542
KES 147.652348
KGS 99.732386
KHR 4583.383289
KMF 492.106504
KPW 1026.485806
KRW 1551.211421
KWD 0.349
KYD 0.95198
KZT 582.628723
LAK 24663.062467
LBP 102356.359628
LKR 341.748579
LRD 227.899058
LSL 20.283196
LTL 3.367439
LVL 0.689844
LYD 6.22052
MAD 10.454674
MDL 19.688646
MGA 5153.43096
MKD 61.540146
MMK 2394.38643
MNT 4079.124485
MOP 9.232272
MRU 45.363794
MUR 52.016145
MVR 17.568605
MWK 1980.865651
MXN 21.794767
MYR 4.821237
MZN 72.943316
NAD 20.283196
NGN 1778.045998
NIO 42.043516
NOK 11.533724
NPR 156.501088
NZD 1.895908
OMR 0.438506
PAB 1.142396
PEN 4.141646
PGK 4.695393
PHP 63.764016
PKR 322.205645
PLN 4.287859
PYG 9119.762647
QAR 4.166148
RON 5.047958
RSD 117.179799
RUB 89.590292
RWF 1616.935217
SAR 4.284458
SBD 9.519743
SCR 16.762202
SDG 684.841637
SEK 10.997372
SGD 1.46867
SHP 0.896211
SLE 25.717466
SLL 23914.569443
SOS 652.854595
SRD 42.130376
STD 23604.916622
SVC 9.995836
SYP 14827.902431
SZL 20.276696
THB 37.37814
TJS 11.293744
TMT 3.991559
TND 3.388083
TOP 2.671042
TRY 44.749355
TTD 7.730646
TWD 34.136614
TZS 3035.853876
UAH 47.308456
UGX 4135.345821
USD 1.140445
UYU 47.47397
UZS 14596.22062
VES 112.208523
VND 29713.163686
VUV 137.255383
WST 3.133948
XAF 656.011859
XAG 0.031702
XAU 0.000344
XCD 3.082111
XDR 0.815868
XOF 656.011859
XPF 119.331742
YER 277.527795
ZAR 20.279442
ZMK 10265.38096
ZMW 28.302367
ZWL 367.222944
  • CMSD

    -0.0510

    22.184

    -0.23%

  • CMSC

    -0.0700

    22.17

    -0.32%

  • BCC

    -0.7100

    86.8

    -0.82%

  • SCS

    -0.0250

    10.35

    -0.24%

  • NGG

    -0.3000

    70.7

    -0.42%

  • AZN

    0.5300

    72.88

    +0.73%

  • RIO

    -0.2000

    59.03

    -0.34%

  • BTI

    0.3200

    47.79

    +0.67%

  • JRI

    0.1100

    13.08

    +0.84%

  • GSK

    0.0550

    41.2

    +0.13%

  • BP

    0.2250

    29.29

    +0.77%

  • BCE

    -0.0850

    21.78

    -0.39%

  • RBGPF

    1.0800

    69.04

    +1.56%

  • RYCEF

    0.1300

    12

    +1.08%

  • RELX

    -0.0900

    53.68

    -0.17%

  • VOD

    -0.0170

    9.94

    -0.17%

French left closes ranks to hobble Macron in parliamentary vote
French left closes ranks to hobble Macron in parliamentary vote / Photo: bERTRAND GUAY - AFP/File

French left closes ranks to hobble Macron in parliamentary vote

France's left-of-centre parties were on Tuesday close to a broad alliance for June parliamentary polls, hoping that a united front can offer stiff opposition in President Emmanuel Macron's second term after a disappointing presidential election.

Text size:

Greens and Communists look to have fallen into line behind the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) movement, and the once-mighty Socialist Party (PS) is expected to follow.

"The different parts of the left are not as irreconcilable as all that," PS negotiator Pierre Jouvet told Europe 1 radio.

He said the talks were "a few steps from a historic agreement" -- while acknowledging that there were "some adjustments" to party programmes and constituency allocations to fine-tune before a deal was sealed.

"There are some sticking points, sometimes on policy but mostly about seats," said LFI negotiator Manuel Bompard.

A strong showing from LFI leader Jean-Luc Melenchon saw him fall just short of reaching the second round run-off in the April presidential vote, while other left candidates were all but wiped out.

After Macron's presidential win, Melenchon immediately called on voters to "elect him prime minister" and hand the left a National Assembly majority to block the centrist's plans.

Surveys from recent days suggest most French voters would prefer Macron, widely attacked for his pro-business reforms seen as favouring the rich, to "cohabit" with a prime minister from another political school of thought.

Like the presidential election, the legislative polls in France's 577 constituencies work in a two-round system -- meaning alliances off the bat offer the best chance of making it to the run-off.

"I think that if we're being reasonable, we have to get things finalised today" with just weeks until the first round on June 12, LFI lawmaker Eric Coquerel said.

- Fear of 'disappearance' -

At stake in the negotiations are important policy issues -- with LFI's proposal to unilaterally "disobey" the provisions of some European Union treaties a particular sticking point for more moderate potential allies.

Last week, the PS indicated that it could broadly accept 12 of Melenchon's core policy proposals, including raising the minimum wage, reducing the retirement age to 60 and rolling back labour market reforms.

Party leaders appear determined to press on despite opposition from heavyweights like former president Francois Hollande, in power just five years ago before the Socialists' precipitous fall from grace.

He has warned the proposed left-wing tie-up could amount to the "disappearance" of the Socialists.

Hollande "set Macron up for us" by naming the former banker economy minister in his government, LFI MP Francois Ruffin retorted on broadcaster BFM on Tuesday.

But other PS figures have called for any alliance deal to be subject to a vote by members -- so far brushed off by the party's negotiators.

Behind the euphoria at overcoming the traditionally fragmented French left's differences, the junior partners are also eyeing how constituencies will be parcelled out between the parties, with each hoping to run on the united ticket in a maximum of "winnable" seats.

The Greens will run for 100 seats, with 30 seen as winnable, while the PS hopes to add to its existing parliamentary group of 25 MPs.

"Unbelievable that all these people supposedly shot through with principles are ready to abandon all convictions... for a handful of seats," Sacha Houlie, a pro-Macron MP, tweeted on Monday.

"And they want to govern our country?" he added, potentially foreshadowing the majority's line of attack on its new opponents.

P.Gashi--NZN