Agreement for the legislative elections around LFI: Julien Bayou (EELV) believes that the negotiations are progressing but draws a red line on Europe and nuclear
In favor of an agreement with La France insoumise (LFI) for the legislative elections, with whom EELV is discussing at the moment, Julien Bayou pleaded for the formation of a « coalition » forces of the left, not to a rallying to the “rebellious”. He recalled that international issues – on which the two parties widely diverge – were set aside during the negotiations in order to be able to move forward, in particular because “the international is not really the domain of the National Assembly”rather that of the “presidency”.
On the retirement at age 60 supported by Mr. Mélenchon’s program, while Yannick Jadot pleaded during the presidential campaign for maintaining the retirement age at 62, Mr. Bayou argued: « On under discussion (…) we don’t want a trickle of lukewarm water, we don’t want the lowest common denominator. » EELV thus requested “to La France insoumise their costing, because indeed, it is a great ambition to be able to retire at 60 [mais] it requires efforts that we cannot put elsewhere. On the ecological transition, for example”.
On the subject of the European Union, a subject of major disagreement, Mr. Bayou drew a first red line, similar to that of Mr. Jadot, yesterday: “It is out of the question to organize an à la carte Europe (…). It is out of the question to put a finger in a gear that would take France out of Europe. » Questioned, then, regarding the opposing positions between EELV and the PCF on nuclear – the communists want to bet on the energy of the atom to decarbonize society, when the ecologists want to get out of it – Julien Bayou reaffirmed the position of his party, denied that a discussion had taken place on the establishment of a referendum on this subject, and repeated: “For us, it will not be in the agreement. “If you tell me, we have to get out of Europe and go back to nuclear power, it will be without us”this agreement, he argued.
On the number of environmental deputies negotiated with LFI “the last offer we are making is around 15 to 20% on 165 constituencies”, said Mr. Bayou, or regarding thirty seats for environmentalists. He also said he was in favor of modifying the rally’s banner on the strategy in “People’s Ecologist Union”but the Greens received a dismissal.
“In any case, we say that if Jean-Luc Mélenchon chooses to make the same political offer to the legislative elections as in the presidential election, it will produce the same effect”, or disunity and failure to gain power, presumed the environmentalist. As for the date of the end of the negotiations and of a possible agreement, “we must be able to finish this weekend or at the end of the week”.