The socialists, communists, and ecologists formalize their union for the 2026 municipal elections. In the face of the right’s division, they hope to win, despite the absence of LFI.
“We enjoy working together” the representatives of the left-wing parties reveal. Gathered this Monday, April 21, at a press conference, the Socialist Party, the Communist Party, and Europe Ecology The Greens announced their intention to unite for the 2026 municipal elections in Nice. The stated objective: to put an end to nearly 80 years of uninterrupted right-wing dominance over the city.
This historic alliance comes at a particular political moment: the two leading figures of the local right, Christian Estrosi and Éric Ciotti, find themselves opposing each other for the first time. A division that could scatter the votes of the people of Nice and thus offer a unique opportunity to the left: “but it’s not because the two are clashing that we are uniting,” clarifies Patrick Allemand, leader of the Socialist Party.
LFI Missing from the Left’s Call
However, nothing is set in stone yet: the left-wing forces have not yet designated their list leader nor settled their electoral strategy. This crucial choice and the decision regarding the party to which the future candidate will belong should be known by next September. It should be noted that La France Insoumise (LFI) has refused to join this union. Just as the collective ViVA! is excluded from this new union, LFI refuses to join in solidarity. The departmental secretary of the French Communist Party, Julien Picot, nevertheless leaves “the door open” should the party of Jean-Luc Mélenchon change its mind.
On the agenda, the three parties have outlined the key points of their program: reforming housing by limiting the proliferation of Airbnbs to allow the residents of Nice to have decent housing, establishing free public transport to support purchasing power. “Nice must become a city for its residents again, not just for tourists,” summarized the ecologist Sandra Benjamin. The union is now engaged in a race against time to finalize their common project and convince voters of a historic change.
