Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PARIS (AP) — The French environmental party's presidential candidate is giving up his bid and joining the campaign of Socialist Benoit Hamon, in hopes of boosting the floundering left's chances of keeping the Elysee Palace.
Yannick Jadot made the announcement on France-2 television after meetings with Hamon in northern France Thursday. While polls showed Jadot with minimal support, the move was a welcome sign for the divided French left.
Jadot's Europe Ecology party split with President Francois Hollande's Socialist government, but sees Hamon as less beholden to industry and more committed to reducing France's reliance on nuclear power.
Hamon, a stalwart leftist who pledges a universal income to all citizens, faces his biggest challenge from far left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon. Melenchon called Thursday for a meeting with Hamon, though neither has shown much appetite for joining forces.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
