Jean-Luc Mélenchon branded an "anti-Semitic bastard": Manuel Bompard calls on the Socialist Party to sanction Jérôme Guedj

A guest on BFM Politique this Sunday, June 15, Manuel Bompard said he was "appalled" by Jérôme Guedj's comments. After the Essonne MP called Jean-Luc Mélenchon an "anti-Semitic bastard" during the Socialist Party congress, the LFI national coordinator called the PS first secretary to "publicly apologize to La France Insoumise" and said it "would be the right thing to do to punish Jérôme Guedj."

The day before, the latter, close to Jean-Luc Mélenchon when the two men were both members of the Socialist Party, explained that he had "a terrible pain to say" these words at the podium of the Socialist Party congress which was held in Nancy this weekend.

"For the first time in my life, I had to say that the man I loved deeply has become an anti-Semitic bastard, with comments that are absolutely unbearable for us," the Socialist MP continued, to applause from the audience.

Finding it "appalling" that, in his eyes, "the only subject of concern at the Socialist Party congress is the relationship with La France Insoumise," Manuel Bompard described this type of talk as "unacceptable." "They should leave us alone, they should debate the substance, the real issues."

"I ask Olivier Faure to issue a public apology, and I think it would be a good idea to punish Jérôme Guedj, who cannot make comments like that with impunity," said the LFI MP for Bouches-du-Rhône.

"If he does not apologize, I will acknowledge that the comments made by Jérôme Guedj are now the official line of the Socialist Party," added Manuel Bompard.

"Does the Socialist Party apologize or take responsibility?" Jean-Luc Mélenchon also asked on his X account, challenging "Jérôme Guedj and anyone who applauded him to find in my writings or speeches even once in the last forty years the expressions" he attributes to him.

"How can you imagine working together with a political party that, at its congress, calls the leader or a political leader of another political party a 'bastard'? It's completely impossible," the LFI national coordinator added.

This "joint work" will not involve a national agreement between the Socialist Party and the French Liberal Party (LFI) for next year's municipal elections, Olivier Faure affirmed in a speech this Sunday. As for a joint left-wing presidential candidacy, it should unite the Socialists, Communists, and Greens, "from Ruffin to Glucksmann," according to him. This would not involve La France Insoumise.