Pittella: The French people have voted for change – now we must unite to block the Front National

Following the first round of voting in the French presidential elections, the S&D Group president Gianni Pittella said:

“Tonight, the French people voted for change.  It was a clear message that cannot be ignored. For the good of France and the whole of Europe, all democratic forces must unite to block the Front National in the second round.

“We are disappointed by the outcome for Benoît Hamon. Despite this result, Hamon was the only candidate who championed a progressive, pro-European programme, with innovative proposals. We applaud his commitment to ecological transition, social justice and the fight against tax evasion. He was the victim of tactical voting. We hope that these ideas we hold dear will not get lost in the second round and in the upcoming legislative elections. It is clear we need to start work on rebuilding the left.  The S&D Group will be at the forefront of this reconstruction work.”