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Les Écologistes Roiled by Defections to LFI Ahead of March Municipal Elections

Leaders counter a Mediapart protest letter with retraction demands, issuing suspension warnings.

Overview

  • Paris councillors Jérôme Gleizes and Emile Meunier joined Sophia Chikirou’s LFI list, with Julia Mignacca in Montpellier and Sabah Badji in Avignon also switching to LFI-aligned tickets.
  • A Mediapart tribune denouncing an "illegible" line and opposing a tilt toward the Socialists drew about 500 signatories according to Gleizes, while party leaders say only 119 are registered members.
  • Deputy secretary-general Aïssa Ghalmi accused LFI of running a destabilisation and "débauchage" operation, a charge LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard rejected by saying his party "manipulates no one."
  • For the 15 and 22 March vote, Greens largely aligned with the Socialist Party in major cities such as Paris, Marseille, Nantes and Rennes, though alliances with LFI or autonomous lists persist in other municipalities.
  • Local decision-making over alliances has fueled clashes over alleged pressure to prefer PS deals, with one elected figure predicting a post-election split and party leaders downplaying the revolt as "picrocholin."