SOCIALIST PRIMARY CANDIDATES FOR 2017 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

The Socialist Primary Election to select one official Party sponsored Candidate for the French Presidential Election in April/May 2017, will take place on Sunday 22 + 29 of January.

 7 Candidates, including one woman, will debate : 4 from the Socialist Party and 3 Others from allied left-wing parties. 

 The 4 Socialists are :

-   HAMON, Benoit aged 49, former MEP (Member of the European Parliament) and one-time Socialist Party Spokesman.  He is now a left-wing Socialist.

-   MONTEBOURG, Arnaud aged 54, former Minister of the Economy, who was, like Valls, a Candidate in the 2011 Socialist Primary.

-   PEILLON, Vincent aged 56, was an MEP when he was invited to become the Minister of Education.

-   VALLS, Manuel aged 54, was Minister of the Interior when he was selected to become Prime Minister.  He resigned to become a Primary Candidate.  He was in the 2011 Socialist Primary.

The 3 Others are :

-   BENNAHMIAS, - Jean-Luc, aged 62, MEP, Ecologist and founder-member of the Democratic Front.

-   PlNEL, Sylvia aged 39, MP, Minister of Housing whose work was much appreciated for encouraging investors to return to this sector.  A member of the Radical Party of the left (PRG)

-   de RUGY, François aged 43, an ardent Ecologist but he has not yet presented the program of his objectives.


During this month of January, this Socialist Primary Election will receive a blanket coverage in the Press and on Television !   It is hoped that the Primary Debates will attain the high standards set recently by the Republican Party Primary ! 

At present Valls is the firm favourite to become the socialist sponsored candidate but nothing is certain.  Remember that recently, in the Right Primary Election, the candidate expected to be 3rd, François FILLON, pipped the two hot favourites !

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