France, the only exception.

Liberty guides people by Eugène Delacroix

A big surprise in the French presidential election. Jean Luc Melenchon candidate of the Left Front party takes 3rd position according to an official opinion poll by BVA.

Why is it happening? How can a political party that was created only 4 years ago rise so fast from 5% of voting intentions at the beginning of the campaign to 15 % now?

The Left Front party is an alliance of several left wing oriented parties : the Left party (Partie de Gauche), a dissidence from the official Left Wing party (Parti socialiste), the Delegation of the French Communist Party (PCF) and other scattered left wing oriented parties. Whenever there is a public meeting of the Left Front, hundred thousand people come to listen to Jean Luc Mélenchon. It is the first time in history that so many people gather together for politics in France. These people are workers, butchers, postmen, salespersons, waiters but also small businesses chefs and more surprisingly young people. 

Citizens' insurrection at the "place de la Bastille",18th March 2012 by BobbyManhattan

The financial crisis strikes everyone especially middle classes and people living below the poverty line. I went to the Bastille that day and was impressed by the crowd.  There I met Marie, 55 (who wants to stay anonymous) she has worked in a grocery store for 15 years now, I asked her why she intended to vote for the Left Front. She said : "I'm going to vote for Jean-Luc Mélenchon because he is the only one who really fights for the people. 

Public meeting in Toulouse, people on the back row, 5th of April 2012.

Increasing the Minimum wage at 1700 euros is good for people like me. Life is harder than in the past. When I was young, it wasn't hard to find a job. I just had to walk in the street and asked a random shop if they needed anyone and the shop keeper would say I need someone to help me carry the arrays, do you want to do it ? and that's it. Nowadays, it is much more difficult to find a job. I had an one hour and a half job interview to be a waiter in a bar... Nowadays you need a good resume, an introductory letter, a good picture of you then you have to go through several rounds of selection process to get a low paid job... I'm very worry for the future of children. Melenchon gives me hope for a fairer society." 

Public meeting in Toulouse, about 70000 people, 5th April 2012.

Indeed, the gap between poor and rich is getting wider every year according to INSEE (France national statistics agency). The standards of living of 10% of the poorest people decreased 1.1% in  (stats August 2011) while it kept on rising on a slower pace for 10% of the highest incomes every year.

The financial crisis is striking heavily several countries in Europe such as Spain, Greece, Portugal who answered the crisis with an austerity policy. The Left Front is for now the only party who says no to a tightening-belt policy. Instead, it wants the rules to change by bounding the European Central Bank (BCE) to lend money directly to the States (1% interest rate) instead of lending it to private banks who lend the money afterwards to the States at a 14 % interest rate.

What does the Left Front propose, why do so many people start believing in it? 

The Left Front wants to increase the minimum wages from 1398 euros to 1700 euros by a fairer redistribution of wealth. One of the way to do it according to Jean-Luc Mélenchon is to put 14 tax brackets from the lowest to the highest incomes. The 14th tax bracket rate is 100% for those who earned more than 360000 euros a year (30000 euros  per month). Right now there are 5 tax brackets in France, the highest tax rate is 40% for those who earned more than 70830 euros. So you get the idea, a better redistribution of wealth so everyone can have a better standard of living. A French bread "baguette" costs 0.90 euros, a meal in a restaurant around 15 euros, an average rent 700 euros for a 50 meter square flat.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon says on TF1 (official channel in France) in the "Parole de candidat" show (Candidate of his word): 

"A little bit of love, a little bit of fraternity often improve all the results of what we undertake."

"Every time we give a more human face to our choice, everytime we help someone to improve and get better, society will get better." (Education context)

"Austerity is not the solution, people have suffered enough."

Citizens' insurrection : a young supporter of the Left Front, 18th March 2012

The Left Front gives a more human face to politics in his way he wants to make choices and decisions. This message is without a doubt well received by an increasing amount of people. We will see what happens next.

BobbyManhattan