An activist even asked the drafting of a manifest

Les Echos n 20459 06/07/2009 p. 04 policy FLORENCE JOHSUA, specialist of the far left, PhD student at the CEVIPOF: "the central issue is independence from the PS" the NPA of Olivier Besancenot received less than 5 in the European elections while he was credited with superior voting intentions a few weeks previously. Some members have slammed the door since. Is this party weakened When you look at the electoral map, and if one considers the context, including high abstention among youth and the popular classes often favour the NPA categories, the results obtained by the Party of Olivier Besancenot seem rather good with 4.9. Moreover, at the last European elections, the associated CRL in LO had obtained that 2.56. It may also say that there is a consolidation of the vote for the NPA since it performs almost 5 on the whole of the territory, which was not the front case with the LCR. Since 2002, the NPA has a dynamic of election implementation: it is installed in the French political landscape. Training policy as the NPA, which refuses to the exercise of power and sometimes gives the impression of being a force of opposition and non-proposal, really has a margin of progression The question of the programme of the NPA was raised at the last national political Council in mid-June. A number of new activists wished that the political project points are specified. An activist even asked the drafting of a manifest. We are witnessing a very significant transformation, in quantitative terms, since the CSF had some 3,000 members and the NPA about 10,000, and in qualitative terms with the influx of new activists, which translates into an extension of the social, geographical and ideological of the party base. The NPA has opened its doors and arrived activists whose ideological positions are very varied. Already in 2003, 54 of the delegates to the 15th Congress of the CSF regarded themselves as Trotskyists. Is there not, precisely, a difficulty for Olivier Besancenot to maintain cohesion of the party, which has grown very quickly Indeed, diversity is a tremendous wealth, but also a weakness because it can lead to a loss of coherence. It is a very rich period where new activists need to "acculturate" old and vice versa. There is a sort of origin between the urgency of change, and efficiency of action desired by the new activists and political reality, which obeys a longer time scale. New entrants have forced a way the NPA to review its decision-making process, to improve its operation. New themes, such as ecology, should occupy a more important place in the program of the NPA. The NPA has refused to make alliance with the left Front in the European elections. Do you believe that such an alliance was possible for "scrollable" regional elections The central issue is independence from the PS. Everything will depend on the attitude of the PCF. If it rejects any alliance with the PS, then the NPA will be undoubtedly favourable to the unit. INTERVIEW BY RENAUD CZARNES