France 2017 Presidential Election: Valls’ Possible Bid May Split French Left

Local Editor

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has enough experience, but his position may split the left, therefore his designation for being a Socialist Party [PS] candidate at the presidential elections is uncertain, Vice-President of the Socialist Group in the National Assembly Olivier Faure told Sputnik. 

On Thursday, French Socialist President Francois Hollande announced he would not seek reelection, raising expectations that his party fellow Valls would compete for the party ticket at January's primaries.

"Manuel Valls has experience, he is solid, and he corresponds to a request of republican order. But his positions also split the Left. This makes his designation uncertain," Faure who also acts as PS spokesperson stated.

At the same time he found it difficult to name a candidate within the PS capable of regaining the party's positions ahead of the next year presidential elections and competing against far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen and far-right opposition The Republicans Party's candidate Francois Fillon, now the two most likely front runners for the highest post.

"Since the Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, the victory at the primaries of Francois Fillon, nobody gives such prognoses... It is the French people, who will decide at the primary of the left of next January," Faure suggested.

He added that Emmanuel Macron, former economy minister, who left Hollande's government in August and announced his bid for presidency as an independent candidate, put the French Left in danger as his participation further fragmented and split the left front.

"Emmanuel Macron, like all other candidates [Melenchon, Jadot, Pinel], who refused the principle of a primary to bring together the progressives, brought the risk for the left not to have a candidate in the second round of the presidential election. Five left candidates against a single right [candidate] is the assurance of a defeat and a duel Fillon-Le Pen," the PS top lawmaker asserted.

The French presidential elections will take place in April and May 2017.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team