French Socialist seeks to breathe life into campaign

Socialist candidate for the presidential election Benoit Hamon is reflected in a screen as he presents his program in Paris, France, Thursday, March 16, 2017. French Socialist hopeful Benoit Hamon is struggling to keep party members united behind his candidacy amid division over economic views. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) (The Associated Press)

Socialist candidate for the presidential election Benoit Hamon, center, arrives for a meeting in Paris, Sunday, March 19, 2017. Hamon held a boisterous rally Sunday that packed out an indoor sports and concert arena in Paris with at least 20,000 people. Since he won the Socialist primary in January, the 49-year-old former minister has struggled to carve out a space for himself in the campaign and failed to unite the party behind him. ( AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu) (The Associated Press)

Far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon acknowledges applauses as he walks on stage during a gathering in Paris, Saturday, March 18, 2017. Far-left French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon gathered tens of thousands of supporters in Paris at a rally Saturday calling for deep reforms in the French constitution. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) (The Associated Press)

The Socialist candidate for the French presidency is seeking to breathe new life into his flagging campaign.

Benoit Hamon held a boisterous rally Sunday that packed out an indoor sports and concert arena in Paris with at least 20,000 people.

Since he won the Socialist primary in January, the 49-year-old former minister has struggled to carve out a space for himself in the campaign and failed to unite the party behind him.

Hamon and far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon both have a big obstacle blocking their route to the presidential Elysee Palace: each other.

Both are hunting on shared ground on the left for votes, but neither is willing to make way for the other.

Melenchon rallied tens of thousands of people in Paris on Saturday.