In France’s poor, diverse suburbs, Melenchon’s hard left charts a path to the presidency

By Elizabeth Pineau

SARCELLES, France, June 2 (Reuters) – When Bassi Konate became mayor of Sarcelles this spring, the independent candidate backed by the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party ended three decades of municipal rule by the Socialists, the traditional powerhouse of the French left.

A native of Sarcelles, a poor, multi-cultural town north of Paris, Konate, 38, leveraged his hometown roots and a network of rappers, soccer stars and influencers to mobilise young voters through social media and canvassing.

المصدر: Al-Monitor