France’s divided leftwing candidates called on to back ‘people’s primary’

Activists are gaining support for move to hold popular vote to decide who stands in presidential election

A group of political activists will make one desperate last attempt this month to save the bitterly divided French left from an electoral catastrophe in the presidential election with a people's primary" to designate a single candidate.

The Primaire Populaire was initiated by young people dismayed by the fractures that could mean no leftwing or socialist figure will reach the second round of the election in April.