France's Union of the Left still remains deadlocked in its search for a common policy to fight next Spring's general election. But all three parties seem determined to reach a final concord in spite of their fundamental differences. In Paris the Communist leader, George Marchais, and the Socialist leader, Francois Mitterrand, both aired their views on the current stalemate on Wednesday (28 September).

SYNOPSIS: Mr. Mitterrand spoke out at a news conference... at the National Assembly where he said the Union wasn't broken. But he was adamant that the Socialist Party wouldn't surrender to Communist demands on Nationalisation, Defence, Taxation and Social policies. The Communists know very well where they stood, he told newsmen. They were threatened by public disapproval and there was no-one they could look to for help. Their demands at the moment would only strengthen Socialist demands to attack the Communists. But he stressed the Union wasn't broken.

Mr Marchais in his turn accused the Socialists of turning a deaf ear to Communist calls when he addressed a communist rally. Of the talks which had ended in deadlock, he said, it was a 'blatant refusal' which Mr. Mitterrand had given the Communists. The aim of the Communist Party, he told 15-thousand people at the rally, was to achieve a "good result.....union, and a common programme for creating a real change for the workers and the whole population.