The second round of the socialist party primary takes place today and it is likely that Benoit Hamon a left wing candidate - sometimes compared to Jeremy Corbyn - will triumph over former prime minister Manuel Valls.
Valls is firmly in the centre left and although he is supposed to back the winner many of his supporters are unhappy at that prospect. A group of deputies has expressed its opposition to Hamon: "I haven't spent three years opposing the frondistes to vote for them in the presidentials". Some have declared their intention to vote for centrist independent Emmanuel Macron, who is favoured by many left voters.
Talking yesterday to a liberal elderly French friend he said he favoured Macron over the alternatives. So if Valls decides to back Macron could he garner enough support to beat Le Pen in the presidential first round? Presumably "militants" will still vote for Hamon and Melenchon, but could the prospect of offering a genuine alternative to Fillon lead to traditional left voters springing a surprise?
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