France’s divided left looks set for defeat in first-round elections

The movement’s failure to unite behind one candidate will be costlyThis weekend is billed as the “final round” in the battle of France’s bitterly, almost fatally, divided left.Two big weekend rallies pit Benoît Hamon versus Jean-Luc Mélenchon: the socialist left versus the hard left, a battle that seems set to ensure that neither will win the ultimate struggle to become the country’s next leader. Continue reading...