TSCG

A small but telling sign of the times: when the Socialists were out of power, they referred to the European fiscal pact derisively as "Merkozy." Sarko was Merkel's lap dog, of course, as everyone knew, and Hollande had one word for the lickspittle: "Renegotiate!" But now that the Socialists are in power, the treaty has been rebaptized with its proper name: Traité sur la Stabilité, la Coordination, et la Gouvernance, or TSCG. Because, after all, how could the Socialist Party call for ratification of "the Merkozy pact," which rhymed with "pact with the devil."

A vote on the TSCG by the Assembly is shaping up to be the latest dramatization of the split that has existed within the left since 2005. This time, the Communists and Mélenchon will incarnate the No vote. We had an early preview of the script at the Fête de l'Humanité, which this year was boycotted by nearly all the Socialists, including Montebourg and Valls and Aubry, who put in appearances last year when they were running for president. But now two of them are ministers, and winks of connivence with the left wing will not do. Among ministers, only Vallaud-Belkacem showed up, and she was booed for her troubles.

Meanwhile, Mélenchon wants a showdown over the concept of "Europe":

« On veut maintenir ouvert le sillon de 2005, que tous nos adversaires font tout pour refermer, explique-t-il. Le oui et le non ne sont pas “réconciliables”, il n’est pas question de se réconcilier, on n’est pas fâchés, on est juste en désaccord politique. » Selon lui, le premier but de la mobilisation anti-TSCG a un premier objectif, à défaut d’obtenir un référendum ou un vote contre au Parlement : « Il faut que nos concurrents expliquent pourquoi ils vont au bout de cette logique européenne. »