Partial legislative election in Isère: the candidacy of Lyes Louffok (LFI) does not convince the PCF
The campaign for the partial legislative election in Isère, triggered by the resignation of former MP Hugo Prévost of La France insoumise (LFI), is set to be complex. Indeed, the French Communist Party (PCF) of Fabien Roussel has clearly expressed its opposition to the LFI candidate, Lyes Louffok, despite the agreement of the New Popular Front (NFP).
Invited this Sunday, November 3 on France 3, Fabien Roussel expressed reservations about this candidacy parachuted in by LFI. “We have democratic rules in our party, and we want the communists of the constituency and the department to choose the candidate who will represent them according to local realities,” he affirmed. Clearly, the number 1 of the PCF seems to favor a local candidacy to the detriment of Lyes Louffok, a media personality committed to the cause of children in care.
A divided left despite the NFP agreement
Following the resignation of Hugo Prévost, accused of “serious acts of a sexual nature”, LFI appointed Lyes Louffok to succeed him, under the NFP agreement assigning this constituency to their party. But this decision was not without its problems. Before Louffok’s appointment, the Socialist Party of Isère had already invested Amandine Germain, without consultation with the national leadership, a decision that caused tensions within the left-wing alliance.
To date, Lyes Louffok, 30, has the support of the environmentalists, but the PCF is reluctant. Fabien Roussel has launched a “call for responsibility”, arguing for a unified candidacy in order to maximise the chances of victory. In response to the logic of the NFP agreement which grants the constituency to LFI, Roussel opposes a “logic of victory” by encouraging pragmatic reflection on the best chances of success. “This is the question they must ask themselves, and they are the best placed to answer it”, he stressed.
A risky bet in an uncertain constituency
The left could therefore find itself with two candidates in Isère, a risky bet in a constituency that is not necessarily its own. In June 2024, Hugo Prévost won with 42,4% of the vote, ahead of Macronist candidate Olivier Véran by just 1 votes. Since then, the former minister has not confirmed whether he would run again to regain this seat.
The upcoming election therefore promises to be a test for the left, between fragile unity and local rivalries.
