PARIS (Parliament Politics Magazine) – On Monday, the French greens and the left-wing party of Jean-Luc Mélenchon have mutually decided to run against Emmanuel Macron in the June parliamentary election.
When they face the newly elected President of France on June 12 and 19, both parties have agreed not to compete with each other.
The third round of legislative elections of France determines which députés (MPs) will sit in the National Assembly. This is significant since laws may only be approved with the support of the Assembly, and a party’s public funding is determined by the number of seats it wins.
If Macron’s La République en Marche party fails to win a majority in the National Assembly, it will get more challenging for him to pass pro-business legislation, such as plans to delay retirement.
Mélenchon had finished third in the first round of the French Presidential election. He is making attempts to make a return by creating a coalition of left-leaning parties, according to the agreement made with the greens on Monday.
This agreement of Mélenchon’s with the greens, according to Adrien Quatennens of La France Insoumise (LFI), is a “historic moment.”
In 100 districts where Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party is not running, the environmental party will run candidates.
This is to avoid vote splitting, which would help the electoral chances of each party.
Early surveys predict Macron will win a majority in the June 12-19 elections, however, alliances on the right and left could put a stop to that.
The green-left coalition’s goals are inclusive of bringing down the age of retirement to 60, increasing the minimum wage, and controlling the price of essential goods.
Mélenchon is also attempting to reach an agreement with the Socialist and Communist parties.
Mélenchon used his 22 percent vote in the France presidential election’s first round to try to unite other left-wing parties ahead of the legislative vote.
The socialists, on the other hand, are split on whether or not to join the coalition.
Some members of the party have criticised Mélenchon’s attitude on the EU, especially his suggestion that the bloc’s “free-market regulations” must be challenged by France.
