That may have some effect on overall percentages of votes cast for EELV and FDG, but will have almost no effect on outcomes in terms of seats won.

Here are the numbers from 2007, a low ebb for the left, where non-PS candidates suffered particularly from the "useful vote" fallacy.

                    1st round    2nd round    Seats    

Parti socialiste (PS)     24,73    42,25    186    

Parti communiste (PCF)     4,29    2,28     15    

Les Verts                  3,25    0,45     4    

Divers gauche (DVG)        1,97    2,47     15    

Parti radical de gauche    1,32    1,63     7    

Gauche parlementaire       35,56            227    

Even if the FDG and EELV double the numbers of the PCF and Les Verts respectively, this will mostly be scattered, and insufficient to get anyone to the second round on their own.

The PCF benefits from the concentration of their vote in historic bastions, and can be expected to win some back. Mélenchon's Parti de Gauche has no such bastions, and as I have heard no more about concessions by the PS, he will be lucky to get anyone at all into parliament, himself included.

EELV cut its deal with the PS months ago, and has about 60 districts which are "reserved" for them by the PS (who will not run candidates there). Of these, 18 to 24 are considered "winnable". Of these, anything up to half will actually be won by rogue candidates from the PS, not running under their party's colours... this will be a running gag throughout the campaign, I will keep y'all updated. I'm predicting 12-15 EELV MPs, hoping for more.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II}