The French Opposition

After its drubbing in this year's elections, the French left began searching for ways to mount a vigorous opposition to the victorious conservative forces. But leftist parties still seem to find more to argue about among themselves than with their rightist rivals.

At the center of debate is the question of whether progressive forces can embrace the market without compromising their social prioritiesor losing their political souls. The inability to resolve that conundrum has bled France's once-mighty Communist Party to near extinction. Disgruntled working-class voters have increasingly sought ideological solace in Trotskyist movementsor defected to the thuggish populism of Jean-Marie...