Front Gauche holds Party Congress Today in the city of New Loire in the Nouvelle-Orange state, the FG's stronghold, the Party's leader of 14 years, Simon Joubert, announced that after his success in elevating the Front to the status of leader of the opposition, he feels that now is the time to democratize the Front and give factions of the now very diverse front of political groups, a chance to create a unified party policy and give mandate to a leader of the party.
FG RallyJoubert made it very clear that he was not resigning, but rather he was "stabilizing" the very fast growing Front, that has, after their surprise results in the 4248 elections, been "divided" with how to proceed.
Simon JoubertThe Party congress will primarily be a leadership election where there are 3 main contenders for leadership, Roméo Micheaux of the Hardline communist faction of the front, who advocate for no coalitions with capitalist parties and citizen gun ownership. Micheaux is a powerful speaker and is very well liked by radical factions of the trade union movement and activist groups.
MicheauxNext is Zoé Bourdon of the Idéaliste faction, a Libertarian socialist who says that the party is increasingly losing it's connections with it's ideals, she advocates a no compromise with the PLBS, but says that the Front should be open to working with the BA and LOP, if they "compromise", she is open to gun ownership and feels that the rights of regions are "important, if not fundamental to democracy". Bourdon is fully backed by the anarchiste, idealiste and syndicalist factions and trade unions in the front, she also has the support and endorsement of the WRCA (Women's Rights Council of Aldurie) a major left-wing women's advocacy and fundraising group.
Bourdonthe last major contender is of course Joubert, who has said he looks forward to "winning a mandate from the front" in the upcoming congress, although some analysts are skeptical of Joubert retaining the party's leadership, his "Realiste" policy of building a "Grande Coalition" to stop LC has alienated many of the grassroots of the front so much so that Joubert has been forced into this position where if he doesn't swim, he might lose the front he realized 14 years ago.
other, more minor, candidates include Diane Carrell, a radical eco-communist and animal activist, Rémy Marchand a revolutionary anarchist who feels the front should move towards direct action and Pierre Galopin, a social democrat who wants the Front to merge with the LOP.
The congress will be the first major party assembly in the FG's history, will the front survive it's division? and if it does then can it dethrone LC?
Only Time will tell...