France prepares to go to the polls with race wide open

Mass rally of 70,000 in Marseille for Jean-Luc Melenchon

France will go to the polls on Sunday 23rd April in the first round of the presidential elections. In a reflection of the political and economic instability that exists around the world, the race is wide open with 4 of the 7 candidates vying to reach the top two and go forward to the run off on 7th May.

This election has been highly significant from the point of view of the rise of Jean-Luc Mélenchon of ‘France Unbowed’, who in railing against the rich, austerity policies and the political establishment has drawn enormous crowds across France who are enthused by his message. This also provides useful lessons for the campaign of Jeremy Corbyn here in the UK.

We are pleased to reproduce two articles as background reading for those interested in these elections, critical not just for France but people across Europe and indeed the world.

The first is by Clare Doyle of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI), the worldwide socialist organisation that the Socialist Party is part of. It was written on 8th April and provides useful background information about the context of the election

The second is from the comrades of Gauche Révolutionnaire (Revolutionary Left), our sister organisation in France. Members of GR have been actively supporting and intervening in the movement developing around Mélenchon, whilst at the same time putting forward a programme to take the movement forward. You can read what they are saying, including the text of the leaflet being distributed, by clicking here.

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