A so-called "People's Primary" - a citizens' initiative that was supposed to allow France's left-wing to unite and strengthen democracy - has highlighted ongoing divisions after the plebicite's board of directors gave their support to far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon ahead of April's elections.
The "People's Primary" is a process of citizen consultation that was initiated almost a year ago in France and attracted the interest of more than 392,000 left-wing voters at the end of January to designate the candidate most likely to unite the fractured left ahead of France's presidential elections next month.
However voters' choice to support veteran socialist politician Christiane Taubira, who came out on top of the consultation, did not prevent her from throwing in the towel last Wednesday.
Garnering only two percent in opinion polls, Taubira also lacked the sufficient sponsorship required from elected representatives to validate her candidacy.
At the weekend, the directors of the popular primary finally announced that it would support and campaign for the Popular Union of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who had vehemently rejected the initiative.
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Primary process 'a joke'
The board's decision to back the controversial Mélenchon has raised ire amongst voters who participated in the primary and who, on social media, have cried foul and say they have been betrayed.
They have also voiced their surprise that the Green candidate Yannick Jadot wasn't considered.
Jadot who came in second place in the January consultation - ahead of Jean-Luc Mélenchon - but behind him in the polls.
Yannick Jadot quipped on Saturday: "It is a good thing that the people's primary has become a joke."
For his part, Mélenchon had insisted he wanted "nothing to do with these people [who run the primary]" and that he would not include their expenses in his campaign costs.
One of the founders and spokeswomen for the "people's primary", Mathilde Imer, left the movement in the aftermath of the decision explaining that the choice of the board of directors wasn't "consistent with what [was] built in recent months" and have compromised the hopes of conducting politics in a different way.
TRIBUNE. La Primaire populaire choisit Mélenchon : 29 soutiens se désolidarisent de la décision https://t.co/NruHoNZWs4 pic.twitter.com/srDldZDW7r
— Le JDD (@leJDD) March 8, 2022
Decision leaves participants "cheated"
On Tuesday, in an article published in the JDD.fr, at least 29 high profile supporters of the people's primary also indicated that they were disassociating themselves from the movement.
They wrote: "What aroused our enthusiasm and our support was not only the utilitarian promise of a more effective and disruptive tool for gaining power, but also the commitment to promote another way of doing politics.
"But it is clear that the recent developments of the People's Primary have taken it far away from the original goals of this fine initiative."
Meanwhile, the board of directors of the People's Primary, which brought together "volunteers, local groups, members of the permanent team and the office", explained that they chose to support the Popular Union in a logic of tactical voting.
In a bid to justify their choice during a video-conference on Monday, the board's head of communication admitted, "we went too fast in our communication, without explaining all the ins and outs."
Respondents were fervently critical, accusing the movement of misleading the almost 400,000 voters, essentially scuttling an innovative democratic initiative.
As many on the left remain dismayed by the outcome of the process, there have been calls from participants to have their donations refunded.
However, once voters' personal money becomes an internal political issue, it heralds a poor start for the splintered left with just over a month before the first round of elections get underway.
