Left

French Left divisions deepen ahead of April presidential elections

France — Analysis

Unable to unite around a single candidate for France’s presidential elections in April, France’s profoundly divided broad Left faces a trouncing at the polls. Its stand-alone candidates were joined at the weekend by Christiane Taubira, an icon for some among the socialist movement, whose bid threatens to further splinter the leftwing vote. Fabien Escalona and Mathilde Goanec report.

French Left split in two ahead of 2022 presidential elections

France — Analysis

In just less than 12 months, France goes to the polls in presidential elections. On the Left, two distinct blocs are emerging, with separate policies and strategies, no common candidate and the prospect of a political crash. But could growing forecasts of a strong performance, and even victory, by the far-right yet force a union of the Left? Pauline Graulle reports.

French socialist primary candidates spar in last of national TV debates

France — Link

The seven rivals to become the socialist candidate for this spring's presidential candidate concuded their three debates aired on national television on Thursday, with voting to begin this Sunday in a two round contest that many observers report will in reality define the candidate most likely to pick up the pieces of a landslide vote against the Left in this spring's presidential elections.

France's flood of anti-left hoaxes

France — Link

Malicious rumours and fabricated stories, some of them racist, are doing the rounds of the internet and tapping into the French public's discontent.

Main beneficiaries from scandals on left and right in France will be extremists

France — Link

As Tapie affair grows, Marine Le Pen, the far-right National Front leader, delights in denouncing a privileged ruling caste on left and right.

Schooled for scandal: the 'affairs' of the French Left

France — Analysis

Mediapart’s revelations that French budget minister Jérôme Cahuzac held for many years a secret Swiss bank account has met with either hostile reaction or embarrassed silence among his colleagues in the Socialist Party. While it is inflexible and demanding in its approach to scandals involving the Right, the Left has often demonstrated an unwillingness to face up to those other scandals in its own midst, argues here Mediapart legal affairs specialist Michel Deléan, who catalogues a (non-exhaustive) history of scams that have undermined previous socialist governments.