Socialists Hold Firm in Choosing New Front Popular PM Candidate

Following a national council meeting on Saturday afternoon, the socialists continue their standoff with the far-left in selecting the candidate for Prime Minister for the New Popular Front. The proposal of the regional president of Reunion, Huguette Bello, did not convince.

The Socialists are holding their ground. While the Communists and the Far-left want the New Popular Front to choose Huguette Bello as Prime Minister, the Socialists still refuse to support this idea. During the National Council meeting on Saturday, the Socialists did not abandon their position and advocate for further discussions to find a consensus candidate. A participant mentioned, “We continue to search for a name, nothing is finalized. It’s normal to discuss, and we will have someone by July 18th.”

Pierre Jouvet, the Secretary General of the PS, stated, “We notice that no name has gained consensus among us at this stage. Consensus takes time, and we will work with all partners to achieve it by July 18th.” The Socialists align with the Greens who met separately on Saturday. “In essence, the Green’s stance is to ‘find a consensus candidate, which could be Bello or someone else,'” explained a source.

The NPF’s senior officials publicly supported the potential candidacy of Huguette Bello for Prime Minister on various TV shows on Friday. The Secretary of the PCF, Fabien Roussel, who suggested Bello in negotiations, stated on BFM that she indeed has the qualities to fulfill the role of Prime Minister. Jean-Luc Mélenchon later mentioned that the septuagenarian, who he is close to, would be a “solution” that would “honour all.”

The LFI MP from Paris, Sophia Chikirou, emphasized the urgency by stating, “It’s July 13th, and the NPF can officially present Huguette Bello as its Prime Minister. The Socialist Party cannot be the obstacle to this historic event. It would be complicit in Emmanuel Macron‘s power grab.

Initially absent from negotiations, Huguette Bello’s name was proposed by the Communists mid-week. With extensive local political experience, she is seen as a unifying figure. Having served five terms as a Member of Parliament and currently the regional council president, Bello maintains close ties with all coalition parties.

The Socialists were quick to dismiss the Huguette Bello scenario, as they insist that only one of their own should lead any potential future left-wing government. Beyond labeling concerns, some within the party highlighted Bello’s refusal to vote for same-sex marriage in 2013. However, this did not deter the coalition partners.

The standoff continues as the New Popular Front seeks consensus on their Prime Minister candidate by July 18th amid differing opinions and pressures from various party factions.