On the left, tensions between La France insoumise (LFI) and the Socialist Party (PS) reached a stage of violence not often reached on Wednesday March 4 across the determine of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, accused of anti-Semitism. And this ten days earlier than the primary spherical of the municipal elections.
At a gathering in Lyon on Thursday, with the intention to help his candidates within the municipal elections, the “rebellious” chief made ironic remarks in regards to the pronunciation of Jeffrey Epstein’s identify, which precipitated a lot of political figures to react, from the middle proper to the left, seeing it as a resumption of anti-Semitic codes. On Sunday, in Perpignan, he additionally performed on the identify of MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, who immediately certified him as “Jean-Marie Le Pen of our times”. Mr. Mélenchon then apologized.
But these repeated controversies don’t move throughout the PS. The nationwide workplace known as on “rebellious” activists to regionally dissociate themselves from Mr. Mélenchon’s feedback and warned that there can be no settlement within the second spherical with LFI “given the worrying drift in the direction of this movement”. “By seeking to conflict each event, by multiplying conspiratorial caricatures and intolerable anti-Semitic remarks”Jean-Luc Mélenchon “profoundly and deliberately divided the left and contributed to weakening it”denounced the PS in its decision.
These reproaches, which the socialists had by no means formulated so immediately, provoked the anger of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who defends himself towards any anti-Semitism: “Unbearable dissociation from the anti-fascist fight, which resumes the attacks of the extreme righthe said on Tuesday evening on his X account. The internal struggles of the PS and their escalation of anti-LFI hatred thus promise the right and the National Rally victory in dozens of cities in the first and second rounds. [des élections municipales]. »
Mélenchon has become “the most hated politician in this country”, in response to Jouvet
“I have no lessons to learn from a bourgeois on his couch, who makes anti-Semitism a common expression in many of his speeches”replied, Wednesday morning, Pierre Jouvet, secretary basic of the PS questioned on Public Senate. For the socialist, Jean-Luc Mélenchon has develop into “the most hated politician in this country”and threat of “to banish the entire French left from society”.
With the chance of weakening the left within the municipal elections, every of the 2 events accuses the opposite of providing a boulevard to the National Rally. Mathilde Panot, head of the “rebellious” deputies, estimated, Wednesday morning on France Inter, that the PS was “a historic error” : “The far right wins when those who are supposed to be its adversaries fall within its framework. »
This verbal joust appears to take away the prospect of potential alliances between the 2 towers, which may nonetheless be essential in sure cities like Toulouse.
The Socialist Party mentioned it was open to agreements on a case-by-case foundation, however once more dominated out any nationwide merger on Tuesday. He raised the concept of withdrawing within the occasion of a threat of victory for the RN, a potential situation in Marseille. If Jean-Luc Mélenchon known as on socialist activists to “dissociate yourself from these instructions of division”Pierre Jouvet known as on “rebellious” voters to “open your eyes”telling them that there’s “another political voice on the left”.
https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2026/03/04/entre-lfi-et-le-ps-la-tension-monte-a-l-approche-des-elections-municipales-apres-les-propos-de-jean-luc-melenchon_6669509_823448.html