LFI Party Faces Internal Turmoil Amidst Legislative Elections
La France Insoumise (LFI) is experiencing significant internal discord as several of its prominent deputies, Alexis Corbière, Raquel Garrido, and Danielle Simonnet, have not been reinvested by the party for the upcoming legislative elections set for June 30 and July 7. This decision has not only surprised the affected deputies but has also drawn criticism from within the party.
Corbière, who has been serving as a parliamentarian since 2017, expressed his shock and disappointment upon discovering his exclusion late on Friday night. He had already launched his campaign in Montreuil, supported by local mayors from both the Communist and Socialist parties. His constituency will now see emergency doctor Sabrina Ali Benali as the LFI candidate. Corbière argues that this decision disrupts the campaign and weakens the party, attributing the call to Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Despite the setback, Corbière has decided to maintain his candidacy, underscoring the support he enjoys, including from local mayors.
Raquel Garrido, who secured a challenging victory against the UDI in 2022, also found herself excluded from the list of candidates without prior notice. Criticizing Mélenchon for making a personal decision that undermines the party's unity, Garrido cited her significant local support and insisted she would continue her campaign. She emphasized that this move endangers the party's cohesion, especially against right-wing and far-right opponents.
The exclusion of these deputies comes amidst the controversial decision to reinvest Adrien Quatennens, who was convicted of domestic violence in December 2022. Quatennens, a loyal follower of Mélenchon, retained his candidacy despite debates within the party and criticism from external observers. In contrast, influential figures like Danielle Simonnet expressed their outrage, calling the party's methods disgusting and highlighting what they perceive as a purge of MPs committed to unity.
François Ruffin, another LFI MP, condemned the party's choice to prefer a convicted individual over deputies who disagreed with the leadership. This sentiment echoed through the voices of other excluded deputies, who lamented the lack of decency in the reinvestment decisions. As the elections approach, LFI faces a challenging path of reconciling internal divisions while presenting a united front against political adversaries.
- LFI's decision to exclude prominent deputies like Corbière and Garrido highlights a significant internal rift within the party's ranks. These deputies have been critical of the leadership, particularly Jean-Luc Mélenchon's, and their exclusion might be seen as a move to consolidate power.
- While Corbière and Garrido have expressed intentions to continue their campaigns as independent candidates, it remains to be seen how this internal conflict will affect LFI's overall performance in the upcoming elections.
- Adrien Quatennens' reinvestment, despite his criminal conviction, underscores the contentious dynamics within LFI and the challenges the party faces in balancing loyalty and public image.
- Other excluded deputies, like Hendrick Davi and Frédéric Mathieu, also voiced their discontent, further illustrating the widespread dissatisfaction within the party.
- LFI's internal conflict could potentially weaken its electoral prospects, giving an advantage to its political rivals, especially in tightly contested constituencies where unity is crucial for victory.
