Nice-Première: How was Marie-Georges Buffet’s visit organized? Is the organization the responsibility of PCf06?
Robert Injey: In the context of building the anti-liberal rally, Marie-George Buffet is holding more than a dozen large public meetings nationwide. It is quite logical that this tour of France includes a stop in Nice. While the PCF took charge of organizing Marie-George Buffet’s visit, the spirit is to allow the diversity and richness of this rally to be expressed. Thus, alongside Marie-George Buffet, there will be several speakers.
NP: What are your expectations for Marie-George Buffet’s speech?
RI: My main expectation is that this evening and Marie-George Buffet’s intervention will give confidence to those in this department who not only wish to defeat the right but also succeed on the left.
NP: On December 10 and 11, the “Anti-Liberal” candidate for the presidential elections will be designated. Can you remind us of the principle of this unique candidacy and what is your position on it?
RI: The ambition is for those who aspire to see the left implement a policy breaking away from liberal and social-liberal logic to rally behind an approach, a program, and candidates. As for the approach and program, it is done; now the hurdle of presidential and legislative candidacies must be overcome. Regarding the communists, our aim is to reach a common designation of candidates, and in this context, we propose Marie-George Buffet as the candidate for the left-wing anti-liberal rally. This candidacy, along with eight others, is subject to debate within local collectives.
NP: In this perspective, does Marie-George Buffet’s visit resemble more an “internal” anti-liberal campaign than the overall presidential campaign?
RI: The question of the presidential candidacy is secondary to our ambition to shake up bipartisanship and implement another policy. For us, among a collective of spokespersons, it’s about finding the most effective candidacy to respect diversity and the most credible to gather widely on the left. For our part, since the victory of the NO on May 29, 2005, we have been campaigning to extend this political victory into 2007. Marie-George Buffet’s visit is part of this approach and ambition to gather for a true political alternative, not just yet another alternation.
NP: Next weekend, communist activists will vote for their candidate. What are the different currents within the PCF?
RI: There are two options. One, which is very majoritarian, with the intent to be part of the dynamics of an anti-liberal rally with the ambition, as in 2005, to strive for victory. The other only aims to gather around the PCF with the sole objective of saving the group at the national assembly.
