The leftist New Popular Front (NFP) announced on Tuesday that has reached an agreement to present Lucie Castets as a candidate for prime ministera senior civil servant who has stood out for her defence of public services. Castets, 64, who has also fought tax fraud and organised crime, “will have our full commitment to the government she forms,” ​​said the four parties of the NFP (socialist, communist, ecologist and LFI), in a joint statement.

This announcement comes 16 days after the early legislative elections that gave a narrow victory to the progressive forces, ahead of the centrist group of French President Emmanuel Macronand the far-right National Rally (RN). Macron has the power to appoint Castets, who could decline the offer if he believes there is not enough consensus in the National Assembly.

The president is expected to comment on the candidacy in a television interview on France 2 within an hour. The statement from the four left-wing forces also highlights their candidate’s “active fight against extending retirement to 64” and her profile as an activist in associations. Until now, Castets was a relatively little-known name among the general French public. At the time of the announcement, her X account, for example, was at 11,500 followers.