Benoit Hamon known as the Bernie Sanders of France - just won the Socialist Party primary

January 29, 2017

Excerpt:

He is a radical left-winger often described as a Gallic Bernie Sanders, and was viewed as a complete political outsider just three weeks ago.

Benoit Hamon handily won France’s Socialist Party primary on Sunday, making him the party’s best hope to maintain its grip on power in presidential elections this spring.

A clear majority of the more than 1.3 million voters in the primary cast ballots for Hamon, crushing the political hopes of former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, an economic liberal who had been seen as the favorite heading into the election.

Hamon, 49, ran on an anti-capitalist and anti-globalization platform, pledging to introduce a monthly “universal income” for all citizens, to consult the French people in major legislation and to legalize marijuana.

He topped seven other left-wing candidates in the first round of the Socialist Party primaries a week ago and defeated Valls in the second round on Sunday by 58% to 41%.

http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-france-socialists-20170129-story.html