A ‘non’ for Mélenchon? France’s left seeks unifying figure ahead of legislative elections

Barbara GABEL

13 June 2024 at 2:26 pm·1-min read

Three-time French presidential candidate and hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Wednesday said he is "capable" of becoming the country’s next prime minister should a leftwing union win a majority in the snap legislative elections set for June 30 and July 7. His statement was met with a cool response from some coalition allies amid concerns that Mélenchon is too divisive to lead the left.

"I don’t rule myself out but I don’t impose myself," Mélenchon, the founder of the hard-left La France insoumise (France Unbowed or LFI) party, said about the possibility of becoming prime minister during an appearance on France 2 television. France’s president selects its prime minister, but the premier usually hails from the party with a majority in the National Assembly.

The Socialists' leader Olivier Faure on Thursday said to RMC that he "does not rule out" Mélenchon for the premiership if the leftwing union wins the legislative elections but it "will be a collective choice".

"The new coalition will need to choose the person best able to repair … a very fractured country," said Faure. "A profile, not the most divisive, but one that can unite the country."

PCF leader Fabien Roussel called for someone "of the people, unifying, kind, who speaks to everyone" on RTL radio. "I’m one of them, as are others," he said.

Greens MP Sandrine Rousseau also mentioned Berger, as well as LFI maverick François Ruffin.

HuffPost
New Poll Finds 1 Democrat Absolutely Trouncing Trump
Just one problem: This person doesn't seem interested in running, should the opportunity arise.
The Hill
70 percent of voters have decided who they will back in November: Poll
More than 7 in 10 voters have already decided whom they will vote for in the November presidential election, according to a new poll. The Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released Monday showed 72 percent of respondents said they have already made up their minds, while 28 percent said they are still weighing their choices. That’s a…
The Telegraph
Orban urges Zelensky to accept Kremlin ceasefire offer
Viktor Orban has made a surprise visit to Kyiv where he urged Volodymyr Zelensky to accept the Kremlin’s offer of a ceasefire.
HuffPost
Harvard Law Professor Delivers Chilling Prediction After Trump Immunity Ruling
Laurence Tribe explained what the Supreme Court decision means in "practical purposes" and it's "devastating."
The Hill
7 Democrats being floated as potential Biden replacements
President Biden’s campaign is intensely trying to quell speculation that he may drop out of the 2024 race following his lackluster debate performance last week. Most top Democrats have voiced support for Biden continuing in the race, while members of his family, including first lady Jill Biden, have declared they also want him to remain…
HuffPost
'Very Bad News' For Trump: Lawrence O'Donnell Says Ruling Could Backfire Quickly
The MSNBC host revealed how the former president's case could be back in court sooner than anyone realizes.
The Telegraph
Russian air strike ‘destroys five Ukrainian fighter jets’ at airbase
A Russian missile attack destroyed five warplanes at a Ukrainian airbase primed to receive F-16 fighter jets from Kyiv’s Nato allies.
Reuters
Malaysia's Najib loses legal bid to serve sentence under house arrest
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -A Malaysian court dismissed jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak's legal bid to obtain a document that he said would allow him to serve his remaining prison sentence under house arrest. In a judicial review application filed on April 1, Najib said an "addendum order" issued by the former king had accompanied a pardons board's decision in February to halve his 12-year jail sentence for graft in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. Najib had sought for the court to compel the government to reply to or confirm the existence of the royal order, which he said would entitle him to serve the remainder of his term under house arrest, and to execute the order if it existed.
Reuters
Biden says he 'nearly fell asleep' during debate after world travel
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday acknowledged his performance during last Thursday's presidential debate wasn't his best, but blamed it on jet lag after two overseas trips earlier in June. Biden has faced mounting questions about his 2024 reelection bid after last week's shaky debate performance, with one House of Representatives fellow Democrat on Tuesday publicly calling on him to withdraw from the race. Speaking at a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, on Tuesday evening, Biden admitted the debate against former President Donald Trump, his Republican rival, did not go well.
The Independent
‘A terrible disservice’: Biden slams Supreme Court immunity ruling, says it lets presidents ignore the law
President Joe Biden did not take questions after speaking on the Supreme Court ruling, despite questions swirling after his debate performance
Associated Press
US deports 116 Chinese migrants in first 'large' flight in 5 years
The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that it sent 116 Chinese migrants from the United States back home in the first “large charter flight” in five years. The flight, which happened over the weekend, comes as Chinese immigration has become the subject of intense political debate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. "We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
CNN
A growing club led by Xi and Putin to counter the US is adding a staunchly pro-Russia member
A club of Eurasian countries spearheaded by China and Russia to advance their leaders’ vision of an alternative world order is set to expand again this week – this time adding a staunch Russian ally that has openly supported Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
The Telegraph
Someone is standing up to Beijing’s ‘Nine Dash Line’ South China Sea land-grab
Scarborough Shoal is a ring of rocks and reefs 29 miles around that lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea west of Luzon, the Philippines’ biggest island. Unfortunately for the Philippines, the Shoal also lies within the so-called “Nine Dash Line” under which China attempts to claim that it owns more or less the entire South China Sea – in defiance of international law and international court judgement.
Time
Democrats Finally Saying It Aloud: Biden Might Need to Go
Even after Nancy Pelosi raised questions on Biden's health, the party’s leaders have failed to meet the moment, writes Philip Elliott in The D.C. Brief
INSIDER
Carrier strike group commander who oversaw 'unprecedented' Red Sea battle says the US Navy needs to make sure it's ready for a drone fight
Rear Adm. Marc Miguez, who oversaw months of combat between the US Navy and the Houthis, shared what he learned from the Red Sea battle.
INSIDER
Russia's war-driven economy is so hot that the World Bank upgraded it to a 'high-income country'
Russia's trade rebounded by nearly 7% last year, while activities in the financial sector and construction grew by 6.6% and 3.6% respectively.
People
Are UFOs Real? What the Pentagon Has Learned
"The most common misconception is that [UFOs] are all the same thing and they're all extraterrestrial, and neither of those are true," said one government expert
AFP News
'Can't go back': Myanmar conscription exiles struggle in Thailand
When Myanmar's junta announced a conscription law to help crush a popular pro-democracy uprising, Khaing knew there was only one way to escape its clutches, and began planning her escape.- Smuggled for $220 - Shortly after enacting the law, the junta tightened requirements for people crossing Myanmar's land borders, and temporarily halted issuing foreign work permits for young men.
INSIDER
A Biden donor says giving him cash is a waste of time and money if that bad debate showed what Biden's really like
Investor Whitney Tilson said it didn't make sense to support Biden "because he has almost no chance of beating Trump."
INSIDER
Estonia says it could hold out against a Russian attack 'for a couple of weeks' before NATO arrives
Estonia has ramped up its defense spending and believes it could hold out for a couple of weeks before reinforcements came, if Russia attacked.

Latest stories