Revolting Europe
Left Front
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
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
Radical Left Melenchon calls for mutiny against Hollande
French radical left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon has called for a mutiny by Socialist Party ministers disenchanted with the policies of President Francois Hollande. Melenchon, a former Socialist minister who left the party and stood against Hollande as a candidate of the radical Left Front in the presidential elections this year, said ministers who opposed Hollande’s … 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
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
Melenchon: the essential dynamics of the Left comes from the breakthrough of the Left Front
Jean Luc Melenchon dissects the Presidential election result and finds that it is the Left Front that is driving the Left forward If one totals all the votes of the Right, the fact is they are down. In 2007, the votes for Le Pen and ]far right] Megret-Nihous added to those of Sarkozy and Bayrou, … Continue reading
Who voted for Le Pen? Who voted for Melenchon?
IN THE PRESS / RUE89 Eric Dupin Beyond the overall balance in favour of the left, the first round of the presidential election will remain marked by two surges with implications for the future: the influence of the National Front and unique installation the Left Front in the political landscape. A geographical and sociological analysis … Continue reading
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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