The United Left vows to run a joint candidacy for the 2027 presidential election

"Historic moment", "great day", "turning point"... One year after the New Popular Front (NFP), the united left, bringing together socialists and ecologists in particular, took an "oath" on Wednesday in Bagneux (Haut-de-Seine) to have a "common candidate" for 2027, but without bringing together the PCF, La France insoumise or Raphaël Glucksmann at this stage.

The Socialist Party, the Ecologists, Générations, Debout (François Ruffin's party) and Après, the party of the ex-LFI, met at the invitation of the former candidate of the New Popular Front for Matignon, Lucie Castets.

"We have agreed that we will have a joint candidacy in 2027," Lucie Castets explained during a press conference following a day of discussions. The "candidate nomination procedures" will be decided at the end of 2025, and the choice of candidate "between May and October 2026," she specified.

"What you have in front of you is a team that has announced that it will prepare for two years" and "will be ready to govern," said the woman who still wants to be the link between the different left-wing parties, but is "not a candidate at this stage."

But while the New Popular Front had managed to bring together almost the entire left after its dissolution in 2024, several political parties were missing on Wednesday.

The leader of La France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon , already launched into his fourth presidential campaign, declined the invitation, rejecting any idea of ​​a primary, as did the head of Place Publique, Raphaël Glucksmann , who recently presented his project for France.

The two men, who represent two opposing lefts, one radical, the other social-democratic, have the same strategy: to succeed in establishing themselves in the polls to embody the useful vote.

Communist leader Fabien Roussel was also absent, initially calling on the left to unite in the municipal elections. Around Lucie Castets, all the "unitarians" spoke of a "historic moment" or a "turning point," noting that the danger of the far right was still present.

"We have made a rather unusual Tennis Court Oath," that "of not allowing the far right to monopolise the alternative," declared Olivier Faure. "By creating this Popular Front 2027, we are turning the light back on at the end of the tunnel," insisted Marine Tondelier, leader of the Ecologists.

The participants also announced that they would develop a joint program and launch six thematic conventions in France, open to the public, experts and civil society.

They will rely "on the NFP program," but also on their respective programs, the bills proposed by their parliamentary groups, the achievements of their local elected officials, proposals from civil society, social and ecological struggles, and even the lists of grievances drawn up after the Yellow Vest movement, they specified in a press release. It is "a common platform that will bind us together," Olivier Faure specified, assuring that areas of disagreement would "not be avoided" and that there would be "compromises."

While they have until the end of the year to find a method for designating a joint candidate, Marine Tondelier, for her part, clearly mentioned "a primary," before specifying that there were "no other possible methods of designation." Some party leaders, such as Olivier Faure, whose party is divided on the principle of a joint candidacy, will have to have this choice validated by the activists.

"We have agreed that we will have a common program and a common candidate, which is no small feat," insisted MP François Ruffin, who is already a candidate in this primary. For his colleague Clémentine Autain, also in the running, "we are taking action" intended to "thwart the scenario of two irreconcilable lefts."

Like Lucie Castets , she assured that the door remained "open" to those who were absent - including La France Insoumise, with whom she had nevertheless broken - who, according to her, would bear "the responsibility" for a failure in the face of the extreme right.

Olivier Faure, whose party has repeatedly stated that it would not form an alliance with LFI in the presidential election, was more cautious. He declared that he had "no problem" welcoming other partners, but "not under any conditions, nor behind just anyone, nor behind any program."