Revolting Europe
Front de Gauche
France’s Loi Macron: the consecration of archaeo-liberalism
This week France’s government forced a controversial deregulatory economic bill through parliament by decree, provoking a confidence vote and further splits within the ruling socialists, with rebels including former minister Benoît Hamon. Drafted by a one-time investment banker and designed to win respite from the German-led EU over draconian deficit reduction demands, it has been pursued in the name of … Continue reading
The Greek sun
By François Delapierre* Amid this icy return to work, those who aspire to a thaw in the European climate, something [French Socialist President] Hollande has not achieved, have their eyes turned towards Greece, and their thoughts on Spain. The Greek people vote first on 25 January and the Spanish have their general elections in September 2015, and before … Continue reading
France local elections: disappointment with Hollande and abstention help Le Pen
Pietro Lunetto offers an analysis of Sunday’s elections and argues that despite the headlines, the Left vote held up overall. The result of the first round of the French administrative has sparked the reaction, often lazy, of the mainstream press, which prefers headlines to detailed analysis of the situation. From the results of the first round, … Continue reading
Why French radicals are marching – Interview with Mélenchon
As French radicals march in Paris Sunday against the austerity policies of Socialist President Hollande, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, co-leader of the Left Party and last year’s Presidential election candidate for the radical Left Front, argues for a broad popular front of resistance. Interview by French Communist daily Humanite: Francois Hollande’s poll rating is very low. How do … Continue reading
France’s socialists and allies win absolute majority
French President Francois Hollande’s Socialist Party and its allies won an absolute majority in the National Assembly, exit polls showed, paving the way for them to pass legislation without the aid of other members of parliament. The Socialist-led bloc won 320 out of the 577 seats, pollster CSA said, with 289 needed for a majority. Former President … Continue reading
French elections – more bad news than good?
First the good news. The Right is not only out of the Elysee Palace but it is on course to have lost control of parliament too. And in its place is probably the most progressive of social democrat parties in Europe today. The Socialists’ programme includes boosting industrial investment, youth employment and teacher numbers, hiking … Continue reading
France needs genuine policy change and concrete, rapid improvements in living standards or Le Pen will triumph
IN THE RADICAL PRESS / HUMANITE May 7, 2012 Following the victory of Socialist Francois Hollande over right-wing incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round of France’s Presidential elections on Sunday, French communist daily L’Humanite caught up with Olivier Dartigolles, spokesman for the French Communist Party, which is a founding and central member of the … Continue reading
Why President Hollande will need to embrace Melenchon’s spirit of rebellion
The Socialists are set to wrest back the Elysée Palace from the Right after a gap of 17 years in Sunday’s Presidential poll. Francois Hollande has maintained a consistent and comfortable lead over Nicolas Sarkozy in opinion polls and the incumbent’s increasingly desperate swing to the far right appears to have failed to shore up … Continue reading
Our French resistance is only just beginning, says Melenchon
In unity we on the left have found the strength to stop Sarkozy and derail the politics of austerity, says Jean Melenchon writing in The Guardian
Vote for Socialist Hollande to beat Sarkozy, say Communists
Pierre Laurant, General Secretary, French Communist Party (PCF) commenting last night on initial results of France’s Presidential election We call for the broadest and strongest rally possible among the people of the left to beat Nicolas Sarkozy, by voting for the Socialist candidate Francois Hollande. For all women and men who love our country, who for … Continue reading
Mélenchon may have disappointed, but he boosted overall French radical left vote in Presidential election
Jean Luc Mélenchon of the Left Front (Front de Gauche) achieved a result on Sunday’s Presidential elections that beat the overall radical left performance in 2007. Despite support that fell short of some polls, Mélenchon should at least be satisfied that with 3.98 million votes (11.11 %), he got over five times more than the … Continue reading
We must now return Sarkozy and Front National to the dustbin of history
We must now return Sarkozy and Front National to the dustbin of history say France’s Young Communists, commenting on the first round Presidential election results. Read
We hold the keys to the future – Mélenchon on first round Presidential election results
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Presidential Candidate, Left Front, Sunday, April 22, Place Stalingrad …The initial results allow us to draw some lessons The first lesson is that our people seem determined to turn the page of the ‘Sarkozy years’ The total vote of the Right is lower than 2007. But the far right is at a high … Continue reading
Round One French Presidential Election Results
Final figures Francois Hollande (Socialists) 28.63% Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP) 27.18% Marine Le Pen (Front National) 17.9% Jean Luc Melenchon (Left Front – Front de Gauche) 11.11% Francois Bayrou (centre right) 9.13% Eva Joly (Greens – EELV) 2.31% Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (Debout la Republique*) 1.79% Philippe Poutou (New Anti Capitalist Party – NPA) 1.8% Nathalie Arthaud (Workers Struggle … Continue reading
Economists dismiss claims Melenchon’s radical programme is ‘unrealistic’
Thirty five French economists have signed a joint statement backing Jean Luc Melenchon’s programme. In the statement, the economists from Bordeaux IV University, People’s University of Caen, Lille-I,-Paris XIII, Paris I, Toulouse Toulouse I and II, Paris School of Economics and IEP Paris among other universities, dismiss claims by rivals and large sections of the media that the programme … Continue reading
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