Left leader Melenchon to stand against Le Pen in French parliamentary elections

[muriel_volestrangler]

That’s because Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the leftwing group Front de gauche (FG), has just confirmed his candidacy in the 11th circonscription of the Pas-de-Calais département, where he will go up against Front National leader Marine Le Pen in the legislative elections, at which 577 deputés are elected across France to sit in the Assemblée Nationale.

This is a somewhat risky strategy, as Le Pen led here on the first round in the Presidential election with 31.4% of the vote. The second round (Hollande vs. Sarkozy) went to Hollande with 60.5% of the vote as FN voters obeyed Le Pen and abstained.

Much will depend, therefore, on whether Parti Socialiste (PS) voters choose to back Mélenchon at the expense of their own candidate, Philippe Kemel, in the second round (unlike in the Presidential elections, in the legislative elections all candidates gaining more than 12.5% if the vote in Round 1 vote go on to Round 2).
...
In this case, much may depend on how much Kemel really wants to be deputé, and how willing he is to risk letting Le Pen through on a split leftist vote. Early indications from the Libération coverage suggest that Catherine Génisson, the boss of the FS Federation the Pas-de-Calais départment suggest, may indeed be open to a second round pact to allow Mélenchon through on the PS vote, but there are bound to be countervailing voices.

http://liberalconspiracy.org/2012/05/13/the-far-left-versus-the-far-right-french-election-part-deux/

See also: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18045387

As the Liberal Conspiracy blog says, there may or may not be explicit support from the Socialist Party to have Melenchon as the preferred second round candidate. I hope they pull it off - if Le Pen fails to get elected to Parliament, it'll really screw up her strategy of being seen as a significant party.

[malaise]

1. I hope they beat her

[xchrom]

2. Go away Le Pen. Nt

[LeftishBrit]

3. Here's to the defeat of LePen!

[pampango]

4. Radio France Int.: Far-left Mélenchon and far-right Le Pen to face-off in legislative elections

Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon

The defeated candidates on the far-right and the far-left of the French presidential election, Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, are to go head-to-head in the battle to represent the small working class constituency of Hénin-Beaumont near Calais, in June’s legislative elections.

Le Pen came in first in the April presidential vote in the constituency, a former mining town fallen on hard times, with 31 per cent of voters backing her plan to pull France out of the euro, close its borders and expel immigrants.

Speaking on Saturday, Mélenchon said the fight between the two candidates would be one of opposing visions on how to solve the economic crisis.

“If you don’t want to do anything and blame the arabs who are working in the factories, vote for Madame Le Pen,” he said. “If you want to hit back at thuggish bosses and stop job losses, vote for Jean-Luc Mélenchon.”

http://www.english.rfi.fr/france/20120512-far-left-melenchon-and-far-right-le-pen-face-legislative-elections