The fractured French left – buoyed by strong polling by veteran progressive Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the presidentials – was this week clambering to agree a coalition deal that would unite the Greens, Socialists and Communists under a common banner with the far-left France Unbowed party (LFI) in time for legislative elections in June.
LFI boss Mélenchon has already appealed to voters to “elect him prime minister" in the parliamentary polls after he was narrowly pipped to the post by Marine Le Pen for a spot in the presidential run-off. As one campaign ended, another quickly began.
