The French Legislative Elections: The Left-Wing Alliance's Surge

A report by Mario Doueiri, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine 

The Left-Wing Alliance garnered 28.1% in the first round of the French legislative elections. 
This coalition composed of traditional left-wing and far-left parties, formed a united front against the far-right. But who are we talking about?

The origins of the left date back to the French Revolution of 1789 and evolved over the years with the establishment of the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO), which later split, giving rise to the French Communist Party (PCF).

These two parties allied in the 1930s under the name "Popular Front," which re-emerged in the 2024 elections as the "New Popular Front." So, who is included in this front?

La France Insoumise (Unsubmissive France) is led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and is oriented towards the radical left. 
The party advocates for transitioning to a Sixth Republic to reform institutions, implementing an anti-austerity economic policy, and measures for social justice such as increasing the minimum wage and reducing working hours. 

The Socialist Party (PS) is led by Olivier Faure and is oriented towards the center-left. 

It supports progressive reforms within a market economy framework, focusing on social protection, education, and workers' rights, while also proposing measures for the environment, public health, and gender equality.

Europe Ecology – The Greens (EELV), led by Marine Tondelier, is left-wing with a focus on environmental issues. 

Their political plan concentrates on ecological transition, combating climate change, and protecting biodiversity. 

The French Communist Party (PCF), led by Fabien Roussel and oriented towards communism, emphasizes nationalizing strategic sectors, defending public services, wealth redistribution, and combating economic and social inequalities.

As France heads into the second round, it faces two stringent options: from the right, aiming to strengthen France's nationalism and drastically limit immigration and foreign labor, and from the left, advocating for more openness to immigration, recognizing the country's need for foreign labor, and prioritizing global belonging over local nationalism. 

In light of these choices, the artistic community has mobilized, as French artist of African descent, Aya Nakamura, declared that the clear choice is to vote for the only extreme – the extreme left. This sentiment was echoed by a group of over 100 writers and some athletes.

As for the choice of the French people, the answer awaits on Sunday.