France’s left alliance selects prime ministerial candidate after fierce competition
Following French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of the dissolution of Parliament on June 9, the New Popular Front secured a victory in the early general elections held later in the month. However, the left alliance found itself in a deadlock when it came to selecting a common prime ministerial candidate.
After weeks of negotiations, the four parties within the left alliance struggled to reach a consensus on potential candidates such as Huguette Bello and Laurence Tubiana. In a surprising move, Macron revealed his joint prime ministerial candidates before his appearance on French television.
One of the candidates put forward by the New People’s Front was Lucie Castets. The alliance highlighted Castets’ previous experience as a senior civil servant focusing on combatting tax evasion and her opposition to raising the retirement age to 64. Castets is known for her advocacy for protecting public services and has a background in economics, having studied at prestigious institutions such as Sciences Po, ENA, and the London School of Economics.
As a spokesperson and co-founder of “Our Public Services”, Castets has also served in the French Ministry of Economy. The decision to offer Castets as a prime ministerial candidate to President Macron marks a significant development in post-election negotiations.
