France’s current predicament, punctuated by the riots of the last week and the harsh political confrontation that has followed, is likely to have significant electoral consequences.
Since riots broke out across the country in response to the killing of a young man by a police officer, tensions have been extremely high. While on the streets tensions are now easing as the number of arrests and acts of vandalism dwindles daily, in the political sphere, the debate is only intensifying.
The current landscape is a far cry from the ‘national unity’ some have called for over the last week. As with most crises, be they national or international, domestic politicians always seek to weaponise them for political gain.
The radical left, spearheaded by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, initially refused to call for calm, instead emphasising justice for the young man killed. The move caused shockwaves among political parties, and the left itself, with many emphasising that the two are not mutually exclusive.
The fallout from such statements by Mélenchon and his fellow representatives illustrates cracks between the various factions of the left – from the greens to the more moderate socialists and communists.
Some have called it a cry for revolt, others a venting of anger or loss of control. But the truth is, the riots involved a small minority of the population, as few as several hundred in each town with populations of tens of thousands.
While the images we have seen in the media are shocking, and the violence is inexcusable, we are far from the revolution some have tried to push.
On Sunday, the mayor of l’Haÿ-les-Roses, victim of an assassination attempt by the rioters, spoke of a “silent majority” who had had enough of the violence and the subsequent political weaponisation.
When some members of the French right speak of “savages” and “civil war”, they add fuel to the fire and stigmatise already stigmatised towns for the actions of violent but relatively small groups.
Not to mention the stories told by several media outlets, often Anglo-Saxon, who, as soon as the first incident, attack, or riot occurs in France, take the opportunity to attack the French integration model – again, by generalising.
They fail to realise or report that the vast majority of the country was shocked by the death of this young man and demanded answers. No one denies that there are problems, but this narrative is misleading.
All of this political fallout is a godsend for Marine Le Pen and her far-right party, the Rassemblement National.
Faced with the turmoil on the left and right, Le Pen has surprisingly tried to maintain a moderate stance, far removed from those calling for a state of emergency and talking of revolt, or further stigmatising already disadvantaged groups.
In the face of this, the left fears that it will become inaudible and that the far right will be seen as the only alternative to President Emmanuel Macron. Indeed, if a disillusioned electorate turns away from the cacophony of loud voices, this will play directly into the hands of Marine Le Pen.
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The Roundup
With Western countries calling for a ramp-up of the defence industry’s production capacity, supply chains are becoming a risk factor, several European defence industry sources told EURACTIV.
Commission Vice President Věra Jourová spoke positively on Wednesday regarding Bulgaria and Romania’s Schengen accession, replying to a question by EURACTIV after the EU executive presented the “Rule of Law reports 2023” for the 27 member states.
Despite efforts by EU Institutions, only seven EU countries recognise the ‘right to be forgotten’ for former cancer patients. Cancer survivors therefore continue to experience difficulties in accessing financial services like insurance or mortgages, years after successfully completing treatment.
Germany’s economy minister has defended plans to subsidise electricity consumption for energy-intensive industries, despite warnings from Brussels and smaller EU member states that it would distort competition on the EU single market.
The Spanish presidency of the EU Council circulated its first compromise text of the regulation to fight child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online, dated 29 June and seen by EURACTIV, focusing on risk assessment and mitigation measures.
German data show British firms opened 170 foreign direct investment projects in Europe’s biggest economy last year, to be compared to the 50 enquiries from British firms recorded by German Trade & Invest in 2015, the year before the Brexit referendum.
Look out for…
- Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni visits Moldova on Thursday-Friday.
- Commissioner Ylva Johansson participates in exchange of views on migrant boat shipwreck off the coast of Greece with Parliament’s LIBE Committee on Friday.
- Commission VP Vĕra Jourová speaks via video conference at event on Rule of Law Report with Slovak Justice Minister Jana Dubovcová.
- Commissioner Didier Reynders participates in G7 Justice Ministers meeting in Tokyo.
Views are the author’s
[Edited by Alice Taylor/Nathalie Weatherald]
Source: euractiv.com
