Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/07/07/socialists-score-shock-win-in-french-elections-with-far-right-in-third-behind-macrons-centrists.html
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Their family house when I saw pictures of it really reminded me of the one described in the Ripley novels.
Not that I’m suggesting there’s a trail of corpses or anything.
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Vive la France! Vive le Socialisme!
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From Portland with love.
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If only the left and traditional democrats could get their act together this time…
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I wish such a center-left coalition was possible in this country. Or is that supposed to be the Democratic Party?
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One of the contributing factors was high voter turnout, higher than the first election. Let’s hope the NFP can construct a coalition that can last (and thrive).
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It’s more difficult with the duopoly, but the general idea that everyone is voting to block the fascists still applies.
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They did the easy part, vote NO to the far right.
But now parliament is split in a three-way deadlock and the new government will have to make compromises to govern.
And that is going to be very hard because half of Ensemble loathes half of NFP more than the RN, and would rather work with Le Pen than gice Melenchon any representation in govenment.
I’m not sure NFP and Ensemble will manage to not collapse and split into different blocks that will try to make a wide centrist alliance to exclude the extrem left and right, but that will not be able to deliver any of their mutually contrary promises and be largely unsatisfactory as a government. While RN will remain as an unified block with an unified message that will look like the only serious party in future elections.
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As was vaguely the case three days ago in the U.K.
Vaguely? VAGUELY!?!?!
It was rife.
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Indeed they were successful in part because many of the parties in the coalition dropped out before the election. Creating if not a duopoly, a merely three-way choice: Fascists, Macron’s centerists, or a candidate from ONE of the leftist parties.
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It’s great to see actual political manuevering to beat the far right.
I wish the left of center could find their ass with both hands and do the same (though there has been note worthy progress, blocking the “red wave” that didn’t happen in 2022).
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What makes you think that they won’t? In fact, I’d argue that they already have. Despite being a centrist, there have been some progressive policies coming out of the Biden white house, because of the progressives in Congress that demanded something for their support. 
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If you get broadcast TV on digital converter with an antenna in some cities you can pick up France24, their worldwide French-oriented news station, it broadcasts here in both English and Spanish (and Arabic in some markets.) Obviously you can get it online too. I enjoy seeing their view of world politics. The coverage leading up to this suggested the coalition could pull something off, although I still felt a little queasy thinking about the alternative.
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One of the major differences here is that the left weren’t being told to shut up and fit into liberal ideals. The left wing are major partners in Nouveau Front populaire, not people to be ignored once you have their votes.
That is how you win an election.
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q.e.d.
There’s a great deal of resentment and distrust between traditional dems and the left. Center blames the left for leaving, left blames the center for ignoring them. Left + center loses. Center moves to the right. Left loses more.
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And yet, there has been some working together in recent years. I’m not suggesting it’s perfect, merely it’s possible, since it’s happened. Of course, some on the left now reject the progressives in congress as “truly” left… it’s not just the centrists that are at fault for division, I’d argue.
But the best way to ensure that the center works with the progressives is for more progressives to join the party.
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