Lucie Castets, former Nouveau Front populaire candidate for Matignon in 2024, has announced joining the left-wing union list led by Emmanuel Grégoire for the Paris municipal elections. She holds an eligible position and does not rule out an alliance with La France insoumise. This move aligns with her commitment to left-wing unity against the threat of a right-far-right alliance.
Lucie Castets, 38, and former director of Paris city finances, joined the left-wing union list for the Paris municipal elections on Thursday, January 8, led by socialist Emmanuel Grégoire. The short-lived Nouveau Front populaire (NFP) candidate for Matignon in 2024 describes this as « the logical continuation of my commitment to left-wing unity, which has not wavered since summer 2024 », according to AFP. She worked behind the scenes on the agreement between socialists, ecologists, and communists sealed in December.
Castets holds an eligible position among the top ten on the central list of 163 candidates for the Paris Council, under the new voting system introduced in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, which includes two parallel ballots without district lists for this election. The list, joined on Wednesday by former « insoumis » from L’Après, is expected to be finalized soon.
Unlike Emmanuel Grégoire, who refuses any alliance with La France insoumise (LFI) list led by Sophia Chikirou, Castets takes a more open stance: « My line is the broadest possible left-wing union, at national and local levels. I am extremely worried that Rachida Dati's right allied with Sarah Knafo's far right could take Paris », she justified. She adds: « The useful vote on the left is our list, and I hope LFI voters will be responsible enough to see it. » An Ipsos poll credits Chikirou with 13% of voting intentions, potentially allowing her to advance to the second round on March 15.
Emmanuel Grégoire welcomed this joining in a statement, noting that Castets will focus on purchasing power and poverty fighting, key campaign priorities. She will also become one of the spokespersons, emphasizing public services. This gathering is portrayed as a « democratic and political necessity » against the Parisian right approaching the far right.
