The charter would first of all do away with multiple mandates. As a result, PS MEPs, unlike their French parliamentary colleagues, would no longer be permitted to hold "significant executive positions" at local level.
Secondly, the charter would insist on full attendance of all MEPs at Strasbourg sessions, ensuring the end of absenteeism and accompanying negative perception among the French media and electorate.
Thirdly, future MEPs would have to pledge not to use their mandates as "personal springboards" to future political positions at national level. "Such behaviour leads people to believe that France and the PS do not care about Europe and only use it for personal benefit." In effect, the clause will prevent MEPs from shortening their mandates.
The document stipulates that diversity should be at the heart of the party's European lists, to reflect "the plurality of origins of the French people". Precisely what percentage of lists would need to reflect this diversity is not specified.
Exchanges with socialist sister parties
Finally, and arguably most intriguingly, Montebourg proposes that the PS exchange candidates with sister parties from the Party of European Socialists (PES). Concretely, this would mean creating "conditions for an exchange allowing a French socialist to be placed on an electoral list in another country, while a socialist from another country would be placed on a PS list".
The charter document claims the new criteria, by which all MEPs would have to abide, would allow the PS to develop a "strategic influence" in Brussels, emulating the socialists of Germany and Britain, who many PS MEPs feel are benefiting from strong representation at European level.
Internal divisions arise
While PS leader Martine Aubry appears to largely favour the charter, significant opposition is mounting within the party, particularly among factions formerly allied to PS bigwigs Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Laurent Fabius. These groups already have already selected their candidates for the elections, and are likely to resist any attempts to have the charter imposed upon them.
"It's a big mess," a party source told EurActiv France, who added that "everything will be decided in Martine Aubry's office". The only question is how far the party leadership is willing to go, the source concluded.
Officially, however, it is the party's rank and file who will approve, in March, the lists put forward by the party secretariat on 28 February.
