The 62 senators of the PS (Socialist Party) will vote on Wednesday to elect their group president. Current president Patrick Kanner, who has held the position since 2018, is facing competition from Rachid Temal, who has criticized the lack of unity within the group. Both candidates prepared speeches for the members of the TOA, a faction that supported Olivier Faure at the last party congress. Rachid Temal delivered his speech on Tuesday morning, followed by Patrick Kanner, who gave a presentation of nearly an hour during a two-hour interview. Both senators belong to the TOC faction, which backed Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol at the congress, but they are competing for the same leadership role. The group currently has 62 senators, down from 64 before the vote. The situation of François Rebsamen, a former minister under President Emmanuel Macron and former president of the PS group, who has requested to join the group, must be decided collectively by the members. A representative of the Olivier Faure faction said, "I think there will be more agreement with Rachid Temal. This morning, it went very well," and suggested that Patrick Kanner is in a weaker position. Rachid Temal has called for changes in leadership methods and emphasized a commitment to "co-piloting" with different factions within the group in a clear and precise way. He also proposed the creation of a committee that would bring together the three factions of the party and suggested planning for the next six months. A member of the Boris Vallaud faction stated, "We are leaning towards support for candidate Kanner," indicating that the TOB faction is considering backing Patrick Kanner. This aligns with the observation that "there is a very consistent work between the TOB and the TOC now," within the framework of the presidential election. According to a PS senator, the new internal power dynamics suggest that 27 senators from the TOC faction, which should be divided between the two candidates, would support Rachid Temal, while 19 would support the TOA and 12 the TOB. However, another senator warned, "it's not a question of orientation text," but rather "a question of personality, of record." Opponents of Patrick Kanner have criticized the current leadership, suggesting the need to move away from a "Florentine system"—a reference to a centralized, top-down leadership style—to a more collective and transparent system. A supporter of Rachid Temal argued that "if some never have the ball, we rarely win matches," and pointed out that "three years ago, Patrick Kanner had said he would not do a fourth term." A supporter of Patrick Kanner countered, "And do they think that with Rachid Temal, it will be better?" and noted that "in a group, there are always frustrations, those who would not have had such or such function." He added that "Patrick Kanner is aware of this and has the will to change things." The discussion also included the allocation of key positions, such as vice-presidency, treasurer, and committee placements. A PS senator mentioned that "there is political logic and carpet seller discussions," and both camps accused each other of the same flaws. The election process is marked by a mix of political strategy and personal ambitions, with a hope that "it will not leave too many traces." The focus remains on upcoming challenges, including the arrival of an RN (National Rally) group and the need to fight against a radicalizing right, as well as the battle to win the presidential election. After the counting and announcement of the result, around lunchtime, "we will all have a drink together," reassured a socialist.