Union attempts indeed never lasted long

Is the Socialist Party a weapon of mass destruction While now begins its Congress in Reims (also read our information page 2), it remains dominated by men and women promoted by François Mitterrand: Ségolène, Bertrand, Martine... As the quadras soon quinquas Arnaud Vincent, manual and a few other they still play seconds roles. "I want it is pushing forward a new generation," said Wednesday evening Ségolène Royal on TF1.

It will be seen at the end of the Congress, which ends Sunday, if PS is capable of promoting new personalities or if such Cronos who ate its children, it is always that a machine "devour his talents", so that says it Manuel Valls.

Generation Mitterrand

Since François Mitterrand left the political scene in 1995, are his former ministers who still lead the party. True discoverer of talents, he had not hesitated to propel in several waves over a dozen of young people on the front of the stage (Jack Lang, Lionel Jospin, Laurent Fabius, Elisabeth Guigou, Martine Aubry...). "I would have never had the opportunity to access the functions I've occupied since 1978 with another personality that François Mitterrand", tells Jack Lang. Boredom, the quadras and the young quinquas is that always are "children" by François Mitterrand who are in command of the party. "It is organized in such a way that it encourages the oligarchy, provides MP Gaëtan Gorce (forty-nine years old), ex-fabiusien. Former Ministers of Mitterrand behave as if they were the co-owners of the party and as if those who arrived later were tenants. National bodies are decayed.

Benoît Hamon (forty-one years old), MEP, also finds that seniors have completely blocked the renewal of the PS ability. "After the presidential election of 2002, they have refused to the analysis of the failure of Jospin and continued to maintain their power by carefully avoiding to determine who was actually the Chief after his departure", he said.

Mitterrand had transmitted power to Lionel Jospin, the latter had in turn passed the relay to François Hollande, who became first Secretary in 1997, at forty-three years. Then, nothing: for the first time, the transmission to the next generation has not occurred.

The trial of Jospin and Holland

The first explanation for the lack of renewal of the leaders of the party lies in the fact that the Socialists are not in power: not easy to emerge at the national level when in opposition. However, François Mitterrand had known identify individuals as Jack Lang or Laurent Fabius before becoming President. "Jospin is cruel, said Arnaud Montebourg (forty-six years old). '. He has been unable to bring ideas and new teams. "Through the dissolution of the National Assembly in 1997 to become Prime Minister, it is a redesign in 2000. But, in the midst of cohabitation with Jacques Chirac, he made the choice of security: nothing beats the "elephants" (Laurent Fabius, Jack Lang,...) to take up to the presidential election of 2002. "Lionel Jospin did not bet the second breath to be around people like Arnaud Montebourg, Vincent Peillon or Marisol Touraine...". ", said Manuel Valls (forty-six years old), who was then the Prime Minister's Office press service. Marisol Touraine (49 years) complete analysis: "For Lionel Jospin, the accession to power was to earn." Need to have completed the course of the combatant, like him, and known failures, like him, before being promoted. He did enter his Government that Pierre Moscovici, then Christian Paul and Florence Parly.

Frustrated by Lionel Jospin, some of the "young" were hopes on the ability of Francois Hollande to renovate the PS in relying on a new generation. Their criticism today are the extent of their disappointment.After the trauma of 2002, the first Secretary prefer to gather elephants. "In fact, François Hollande has chosen to be the youngest of the old, instead of being the oldest youth!" exclaims the Deputy Christian Paul (48 years). His years at the head of the party are a long decade of intellectual anesthetic. Between 1997 and 2002, it had not identified the "François Hollande problem", as Lionel Jospin was there. However, since 2002, it cannot see the extent of the damage. "According to him, the method of François Hollande was based on the eradication of the other. "He has tribalisé the party and forced ashore renovators gathered around the new Socialist Party (NPS) generation."

Rival ambitions

As early as the end of 2002, Christian Paul, Arnaud Montebourg, Benoît Hamon and Vincent Peillon (48 years) take the risk of being minority and based their current, the new Socialist Party. Others, such as Manuel Valls and Marisol

Touraine, remain in the wake of the first Secretary and integrate the leadership of the party. Since then, Manuel Valls has become one of the most relentless prosecutors of François Hollande: "with Lionel Jospin and François Hollande, it is far from José Luis Zapatero, who, in Spain, has promoted a new generation to prepare then."

As if the problems of people was not enough, add great difficulty of organization. All believe that has a bloated management paralyzing action and party including the essential concern is to preserve its square meadow. In addition, the direction has a reputation not arbitrate and be unable to work in the municipalities and regions and inspiration.

Easy to accuse the elders or elders, but the quadras and young quinquas are free from blame "This generation was not in height, is rue de Solferino.". She was spoiled and frustrated. "Some, indeed, were elected members of Parliament in 1997 (Arnaud Montebourg, Vincent Peillon), others have exercised functions in the entourage of Lionel Jospin (as Manuel Valls). "Then, they ranged from the left to the right of the party with the opportunities of each and other means still." They are not consistent. "Perhaps it is question of Arnaud Montebourg, from the left of the PS support for Ségolène Royal in 2007, storage behind Martine Aubry today Unless it is of Vincent Peillon, which close to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, is, also passed by the left of the PS before supporting Ségolène Royal since 2006 Among their seniors, the criticism raining down: inordinate taste media, disrespect of the collective decisions, lack of solidarity... including between them.

Member Pascal Terrasse (forty-four years old) recognizes it. "We expected that we be given the power!". I would add that competition between all these "young talents" was that neither brought others. I want a little to my congeners: we were all in agreement for a new leader, but everyone wanted it to! "Gaëtan Gorce is not less critical:"the duty of those in my generation was to unite to impose change to which the Socialist Party is reluctant. But we have not done.

Union attempts, indeed, never lasted long. Whether the Rako group established in 1997 by those who were young members of Parliament and dreamed to instil a new wind in their group in the Assembly. Or the NPS after 2002: the antagonism between Arnaud Montebourg and Vincent Peillon regularly make the news of the current until the split in 2005. "The party has typed on it!, rebelled Arnaud Montebourg.". It was destroyed in the le Mans Congress. I was the only resistant to the apparatus, which has crushed me, and some of my friends have been purchased for a dish of Dutch lenses! "Last attempt yet to back to 2007, during the feast of the rose of Frangy-en-Bresse. Arnaud Montebourg shared the podium with young "renovators" such as Manuel Valls and Gaëtan Gorce. It was a beautiful Sunday in the campaign, but time is covered then. As at each time. Since then, each did not reform the PS since the periphery, to stand prominently in one of the main motions (except Benoît Hamon, who developed his own) to renovate the Interior.

A glimmer of hope

Can we speak of a sacrificed generation "It is too early to say, said Arnaud Montebourg." Say that it is discouraged. But we are still young. Can be said that we sacrificed after the 2012 presidential election, if the left is not in power. "For the time being, there seems to be a glimmer of hope. "The passage of witness" assumes that the oldest nay pass it, said Vincent Peillon. However, at this time, for the first time for a long time, I have the feeling that leaders put in place by François Mitterrand actually have this desire. "Marisol Touraine j. that this generation be laminated, is rather after the vote of the activists on the motions, as they have clearly expressed a renewal application. For Manuel Valls, if the party comes out unscathed from the Reims Congress, it is clear that his generation should occupy, finally, more responsibility. Gaëtan Gorce considers, however, that the issue is not so much younger average age of the branch to implement different practices. "We only are only at the first stage of primitive crafts", he laments. In other words, the party is ordered to change. Otherwise "Otherwise, he continues, it will be the decline, as was the case before him for the SFIO, the MRP or the PC...".