France's left fractures as Socialist Party debates LFI alliances before election deadline
France's municipal elections are heating up as candidates finalise alliances before the second round on 22 March. The Socialist Party (PS) faces growing pressure over its local deals with La France Insoumise (LFI), while tensions split the left-wing camp. With deadlines looming tonight, key cities like Marseille, Toulouse, and Lille remain tightly contested.
The Socialist Party has long worked with LFI to block the far-right Rassemblement National, particularly in the 2020 elections. But this year, divisions have widened. Former president François Hollande warned socialists against teaming up with LFI, citing controversies around its leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
PS leader Olivier Faure has ruled out a national pact with LFI but acknowledges local candidates' decisions. In Toulouse, a merger between LFI's François Piquemal and PS's François Briançon has been confirmed. Yet in Paris and Marseille, PS candidates have refused any LFI alliance. Faure insists he would step in if allied candidates made anti-Semitic or unacceptable remarks. Meanwhile, critics from The Republicans, National Rally, and Renaissance have slammed the PS-LFI partnerships. In Lille, the PS has instead joined forces with the Greens to counter LFI's rise. With tonight's deadline for list mergers or withdrawals, the race remains unpredictable in several major cities.
The second round on 22 March will reveal whether the left's fragmented alliances can hold. Local deals between the PS and LFI have reshaped contests in Toulouse, Nantes, and Limoges, while opposition parties watch closely. The outcome could redefine France's political landscape at the municipal level.
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