Emmanuel Maurel Announces Bid for Left-Wing Primary to Offer a Distinctive Voice

Emmanuel Maurel has entered the race for the left-wing primary with a promise to bring what he calls a distinctive voice for France, the left and Europe.

The lawmaker, a former leader of the Socialist Party’s left wing, announced his candidacy on Friday. He currently sits in the Communist group in France’s National Assembly and leads the small Gauche républicaine et socialiste party.

“I will be a candidate to carry a distinctive voice, for France, for the left and for Europe,” Maurel said on franceinfo. He said his priorities include “halting France’s decline” and “defending workers.”

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I will be a candidate to carry a distinctive voice, for France, for the left and for Europe.

Maurel, who left the Socialist Party in 2018, said an authentic left-wing candidate could reach the presidential runoff and defeat the National Rally. “What I deeply believe is that we can reach the second round and defeat the National Rally,” he said.

He argued that success would require a credible candidate who learns from past mistakes and offers a clear program. Maurel is the seventh declared candidate in the Socialist Party and Place publique primary, although each candidate must secure a required number of endorsements. The other declared contenders include Raphaël Glucksmann, Olivier Faure, Philippe Brun, Jérôme Guedj, Ségolène Royal and Fabien Verdier. The primary’s two rounds are scheduled for October 9-10 and 16-17.

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What I deeply believe is that we can reach the second round and defeat the National Rally.