Frustrated by the failure of its censure motion and the socialists' rising influence, La France Insoumise (LFI) aims to fracture the Socialist Party from within. The insurgents call on socialist ranks to defect while drawing ecologists and communists into their fold. Jean-Luc Mélenchon accuses the socialists of compromising with the government.
The media omnipresence of Olivier Faure, the Socialist Party (PS) leader, appears to have irritated Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Since Sébastien Lecornu's announcement of the 'suspension' of the pension reform during his general policy statement on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, La France Insoumise (LFI) has intensified attacks on the socialists. They are accused, at best, of having 'been rolled in the flour,' at worst, of compromising with the presidential camp.
On Thursday, October 16, following the rejection of the censure motion tabled by his deputies, Jean-Luc Mélenchon vented on social network X: 'The censure failed by a narrow margin thanks to the Macron-Faure pact.' It lacked 18 votes to topple the government, double the number needed two years ago. In 2023, former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne had escaped censure by nine votes.
Behind this pension episode lies a battle for hegemony on the left, as the PS regains prominence in the French political scene. For the socialists, the scale of the insurgent attacks proves they have won a round. Present at the National Assembly on the day of Lecornu's statement, Mélenchon did not appear in the chamber, unlike his usual practice. LFI is thus attempting a 'political judo move' to regain control, by calling for defection among socialist ranks and seeking to attract ecologists and communists.