French Greens leader urges left to stop 'shameful' infighting

Marine Tondelier, National Secretary of Les Ecologistes (The Ecologists - Greens) party and member of the alliance of left-wing parties, called the "Nouveau Front Populaire" (New Popular Front - NFP), gestures as she talks to journalists in front of the Ecologistes party headquarters, on day after second round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Paris, France, July 8, 2024. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/ File Photo

Source: REUTERS

Stop the infighting and get your act together, French Green leader Marine Tondelier urged fellow left-wing party leaders on Wednesday as talks within the bloc on a joint candidate for prime minister appeared to have hit a dead end.

"I'm angry, I'm disgusted, I'm fed up and I'm sorry for the spectacle we're giving the French," Tondelier told France 2 television, adding that she felt too ashamed to look voters in the eye while political rivals were watching the left's failure "with popcorn".

Following their surprise election win on July 7, leaders of the leftist New Popular Front alliance were quick to say they would form a government and name a prime minister within days.

No progress has since been made and the left has shifted its focus to try to agree on a candidate for president of the new national assembly that convenes for the first time on Thursday.

"Our hope has turned to anger, our joy has turned to shame," Tondelier said, adding that the political haggling was mainly due to differences between the bloc's two largest parties, the moderate Socialists and hardleft France Unbowed (LFI).

President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile has tasked his outgoing prime minister, Gabriel Attal, with brokering a larger coalition able to muster a "solid" majority, pressuring the more moderate parts of the leftist alliance to ditch LFI.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters