The Left’s Plan for the Post-Macron Era –

Former President Francois Hollande, elected deputy of Corrèze as a candidate of the New Popular Front (NFP), is getting back into the game and repositioning himself on the French political scene to aim for the Elysée again. Analyzing the trajectory of the socialist Hollande is a party colleague quoted by the French press, but on condition of anonymity. The former head of state (2012-2017), 70 years old, “puts down his pebbles”, analyzes a socialist who knows him well and has “no doubts” about his ambitions. “He always has the same modus operandi: a new book”, adds the same source. Francois Hollande has in fact published “The challenge of governing”, in which he recounts the ambiguous relationship of the left with power and the duel between two lefts, one radical, the other more reformist. According to the former president’s analysis, “whenever the reformist left has been stronger, it has allowed the left to win and govern.” But when the radical left is more important, “it prevents the left from taking power.”

If in the past Hollande has shown hostility towards the left-wing alliance, Nupes, this time he has supported the New Popular Front, which he believes is more balanced. “To integrate into the group, he has always said he was in agreement with Olivier Faure” in recent months, the Socialist source reported, recalling that in the past the relationship between the two men had been execrable. At this point, Hollande’s strategy is to “regain weight on the left”, while a part of the political forces continues to criticize him for the balance of his five years at the Elysée, in particular “the law on labor”, “the forfeiture of nationality” and “the betrayal” of his presidential commitments in 2012.

An anonymous Socialist MP observes: “Getting back into the game, with the New Popular Front, which cleans him of some of his bad image, is a smart thing to do.” “He is positioning himself,” confirms another Socialist MP, also sure that in the event of early presidential elections “he will run, just like Mèlenchon.” In short, Hollande wants to strengthen the “reformist left” and re-establish the duel with the rebel leader Jean-Luc Mèlenchon, with the unrecognized aim of presenting himself as a possible appeal, “the man of synthesis,” in the next presidential elections for the post-Macron era. Speaking on the Grand Jury program of RTL-Le Figaro-Senate Public-M6, Hollande stressed that “it is two times (three in fact, ed.) that Jean-Luc Mèlenchon has run for the presidency of the Republic, twice he has failed to reach the second round.” Hollande added that, in his opinion, it will be necessary to choose “a person more capable of winning”, that is, “a socialist or close to the Socialist Party”. And when asked about his alleged statement that he would “never run for president again” as far as he is concerned, he replied that “I did not say that”, stating that he was “in the mood to serve my country by choosing the right person”. Another sign of a possible future turning point.