Talks between the left and Bayrou never really took off, and the Socialists are once again threatening to vote against the government, but the close encounter may prove to be a turning point in French politics. The Socialists have been playing second fiddle on the left for years, their last president, Francois Hollande, having departed office in 2017, leaving them to fight for credibility since.
But as politicians from all sides jostle for support with eyes on the 2027 election to replace President Emmanuel Macron, the Socialists are trying to up their game. While they teamed up with other lawmakers on the left as well as Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally to vote out the previous government in December, that may end up being the peak of opposition unity.
“We are ready to discuss … open doors for compromises,” Socialist party leader Olivier Faure said Dec. 19 after talks with Bayrou. Unlike other anti-Macron parties, they have floated some limited cooperation to keep France from grinding to a halt and say they will refrain from toppling the next government if Bayrou plays nice.
Their position offers a stark contrast with that of their partner in the pan-left coalition, far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
His France Unbowed party has constantly upped the ante in recent years, sparking periodic controversies on Ukraine and support for Palestinians, and is now campaigning for Macron’s resignation.
While Mélenchon, who finished third in France’s last two presidential elections, remains the leading figure of the pan-left New Popular Front, he is increasingly perceived by the moderate Socialists as toxic and an obstacle to its rise to power.