Xavier Garcia was in Nice yesterday to meet with local officials and activists (around fifty people attended).
Xavier Garcia is trying his best to organize the 78th congress of the Socialist Party.
He adopts the language befitting the role: “I have the responsibility to properly organize this transition and I will maintain an egalitarian approach until the end.”
But if the Socialist Party certainly has a past, does it still have a future?
“Of course the Socialist Party has a future,” he asserts, “our values are current values; it’s about writing a new chapter.”
Rachid Temal has a style as smooth as that of a Vatican monsignor, and one could easily imagine him in a cassock with curial insignias. Moreover, his words certainly attest to this: “we have relearned to live together, to share our common values, camaraderie, companionship, gathering!”
Isn’t it beautiful? At least it’s well spoken, as if the Socialists had been steamrolled in the May and June elections to rediscover this lost spirit!
It is true that a generation of strong-willed individuals with excessive ambition has either left or quit politics, but four candidates for one position is not a sign of moderation.
Then, to say that the reading of motions generated great enthusiasm would be a lie. Three of the four (those signed by Olivier Faure, Stéphane Le Foll, and Luc Carvounas) share the same inspirational base; the one further to the left by Emmanuel Maurel claims the humanistic social tradition that aims to reconcile extremes.
Since none of the four candidates will likely obtain a majority in the first vote (on March 15 for the motions), it will be the game of alliances between finalists and those excluded that will determine the battle for the position of first secretary.
It’s tragic for a weakened and inaudible party, as was clearly shown by the results of the two partial legislative elections where the Socialist candidates were defeated and marginalized.
One question remains relevant: are the Socialists still useful to France? If so, will an organized but open structure be able to respond to new challenges?
