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.
Konate, who is of Malian heritage, said his election reflected the diversity of modern France.
"Sarcelles is the most beautiful city in the world because the whole world is truly represented," he told Reuters. "The face of the world in France."
Konate's capture of Sarcelles, where he grew up in social housing, illustrates why LFI has become a formidable force heading into next year's presidential vote.
As Emmanuel Macron's second and final term comes to an end, the unpopular president leaves behind a hollowed-out political centre and weak economy that have opened space for hardline parties such as LFI, whose polarising candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, 74, is making his fourth tilt at the presidency.
While polls forecast the far-right National Rally (RN) is favourite to reach the second round next April, analysts say Melenchon could join it if mainstream parties fail to coalesce around a tighter cast of candidates.
A May 29 Toluna Harris poll showed Melenchon reaching a run-off in three of five scenarios.
Despite finding him to be France's most unpopular politician, with a 69% rejection rating, a May 26 Odoxa poll had Melenchon virtually tied with former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, widely seen as the strongest centrist hopeful.
Melenchon's promises of a higher minimum wage, heavier taxes on wealth and profits, and price controls alarm business leaders and investors, while LFI's pro-Palestinian stance has spurred accusations of antisemitism, which it denies.
YOUTH APPEAL
But its clear policies on everything from Gaza to public housing appeal to younger voters and immigrant-heavy towns wary of both the nationalist RN and urbane centrists who have failed to deliver growth.
According to a Cluster17 poll, nearly half of 18- to 24-year-olds and over a third of 25- to 34-year-olds would vote for Melenchon, who launches his campaign next Sunday in Saint-Denis, another poor Paris suburb won by LFI mayor Bally Bagayoko.
Home to 60,000 people, including some 8,000 Jews, Sarcelles is one of France's youngest, poorest and most diverse towns.
Patrick Haddad, the former Socialist mayor defeated by Konate, said France had "fractured" into three blocs, with "gentrified cities" voting for centrists, and the RN dominating the rural vote. Poorer urban areas, or 'banlieues', such as Sarcelles are increasingly swinging behind LFI, he said.
Manuel Bompard, LFI's national coordinator, described the party's base as "the forgotten, the despised, the overlooked", including single-parent families and gig-economy workers often lacking union protections.
Bompard rejected suggestions that LFI is beholden to France's Muslim population, Europe's largest, but said it was empowering for immigrants to see themselves represented among LFI lawmakers.
"People vote for us because they feel recognised and are interested in our proposals on wages, prices, public services," he told Reuters.
Many in Sarcelles agreed, celebrating the town's diversity without downplaying its hardships.
Catherine Elyn said her pregnant 31-year-old daughter had just moved back in with her as her temporary work no longer covered rent.
"The problem is young people no longer have money," said Elyn, 57, as she walked past a "Coexist" mural featuring an Islamic crescent, a Star of David and a cross.
"We are afraid of gas and gasoline prices, of using the car," she said. "But we still help each other."
JEWISH COMMUNITY ON EDGE
Many Jewish leaders and political rivals blame LFI for helping fuel a record surge in antisemitic acts after the Gaza war began in 2023, though incidents have since fallen.
Konate's election left many local Jews jittery, community leaders said. He acknowledged their concerns but blamed his political foes for inflaming tensions.
"I grew up alongside the Jewish community, so I will do everything possible to make sure things go well," he said.
Jewish community leader Moise Kahloun was trying to keep an open mind, and credited Konate for celebrating Passover at a Sarcelles synagogue, but added, "LFI stigmatizes our community."
Francois-Xavier Valentin, the right-wing candidate defeated by Konate, said he feared Sarcelles' Jewish population - already down by half since the 2000s - would shrink further as more residents leave for Israel or wealthier suburbs.
"I understand that in the current context, the Jewish community is worried," he told Reuters. "Gaza is a concern."
LFI believes its strategy of targeting young people and others who don't typically vote can succeed at the national level.
With Melenchon some 420,000 votes shy of reaching the second round in 2022, Bompard said LFI is now targeting the 26% who abstained then, hoping their votes will propel the party to a run-off against the RN.
Melenchon also benefits from "an aspiration for radicality" sweeping Europe, Bompard said, noting the rise of the Greens in Britain.
Even Melenchon's advanced years could prove an advantage, Bompard added: "His age is a guarantee that he will not betray because he no longer needs to build a career."
(Writing and additional reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Richard Lough and Gareth Jones)
