french president Emmanuel Macron He faced heavy criticism this week after he claimed a victory for either the far-right or the radical-left in the upcoming election could lead to “civil war”.
“This is a fear tactic,” Eric Ciotti, a leader of the conservative Republicans, said on radio station BFMTV-RMC.
Patrick Kanner, the head of the Socialists in the French Senate, claimed Macron’s comments showed people were “dealing with someone who no longer controls anything.”
During this, Marine Le Pen of the National Rally The party argued that Macron’s comments showed he “thinks he lost the election,” and National Rally President Jordan Bardella quipped that the French president “shouldn’t say that.”
Macron initiated snap elections, the first phase of which was scheduled for June 30. Right-wing parties performed better than their rivals – including Macron’s own centrist Renew party – during the European parliamentary elections on June 9.
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at the main production site of GE Steam Power Systems’ nuclear turbine systems in Belfort, eastern France, February 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Jean-François Badias, Pool, File)
Although European elections do not necessarily affect domestic politics, many see them as a mid-term indication of voters’ sentiments. Thus, Macron argued that the only responsible move was to give the people a chance to reshape the government if they strongly disagree with his administration.
Macron’s approval rating is also at an all-time low of 26%, down 6 points from a survey conducted a month ago. Bloomberg reportedMacron has reached this stage twice before, in April 2023 and at the end of 2018.
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During his appearance on the “Generation Do It Yourself” podcast this week, Macron said the National Rally’s manifesto was based on “stigma or division.”
“I think the solution offered by the far right is unquestionable, because it classifies people based on their religion or origin and that is why it leads to division and civil war,” Macron said.
Protesters clashed with French police officers during a demonstration in Lyon on Thursday. Authorities say more than 400 police officers were injured on Thursday during protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform. (AP/Laurent Cipriani)
“But there is also a civil war behind this, because you are classifying people only based on their religious viewpoint or the community they belong to, which is in a way a means to justify separating them from the broader national community and, in this case, you will have a civil war with people who don’t share the same values,” Macron said, referring to the far-left France Unbowed party.
His frightening language this week infuriated his rivals as they prepared for a major television debate on Tuesday evening. Barron’s reportedMacron’s own position is not in danger as his term runs until 2027, but the election will determine who will be his prime minister and who will guide France’s domestic policies.
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Some polls indicate that the National Rally – the reformed National Front – could have the most votes after the first round, possibly winning about 35% of the vote. A rival left-wing coalition called the New Popular Front would get about 28%, and Macron’s own centrists would get about 21%.
The second phase of polling will be held on July 7 in districts where candidates failed to secure more than 50% of the votes in the first phase.
National Rally lead candidate Jordan Bardella delivers a speech at the party election night headquarters in Paris, Sunday, June 9, 2024. The first projected results from France have put the far-right National Rally party well ahead in the EU elections, according to French opinion polling institutes. (AP Photo/Louis Joly)
However, no party will have a majority in parliament and coalitions will play a key role in shaping the next French assembly. Some have looked to former French President François Hollande, who launched a campaign to retake his former parliamentary seat, as a potential mediator if he returns to parliament. According to The Telegraph,
The snap election has thrown France into a state of chaos, with protests taking to the streets as people view the election as an existential crisis.
Renowned Nazi-hunter Serge Klarsfeld said in an interview that if he faced the National Rally against a far-left party, he would choose the right-wing National Rally. “When there is an anti-Semitic party and a pro-Semitic party, I will vote for the pro-Semitic party,” Klarsfeld said. Jerusalem Post,
French football star Kylian Mbappe urged voters to support none other than the National Rally in a pre-match conference ahead of France’s opening European Championship match.
“I want to speak to the entire French public, but also to the youth,” Mpabe said. According to The Guardian“We are a generation that can bring about change. Extremism is at the doorstep of power. We have a chance to choose the future of our country.”
