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Progressive International Slams Macron for ‘Authoritarian Efforts to Repress the Will of the French People’

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Original article by Jessica Corbett republished from Common Dreams under a CC licence.

French President Emmanuel Macron gestures to the crowd before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games at Place de la Concorde on August 28, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

The president’s rejection of a center-left coalition’s prime minister candidate “is not merely a political maneuver to hold onto power, but a direct attack on French progressive forces.”

Progressive International on Wednesday issued a scathing critique of French President Emmanuel Macron and backed calls for protests next month over his rejection of a leftist alliance’s candidate for prime minister following recent snap elections.

Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), a coalition of left-of-center parties formed to counter the far-right in this summer’s elections, won the most seats, beating out Macron’s centrist alliance and Marine Le Pen’s right-wing Rassemblement National (RN), but lacks an absolute majority.

Macron has since refused to appoint NFP’s chosen candidate, Lucie Castets, as prime minister, which the Progressive International Observatory blasted as “blatant disregard of the election results and the precedent established throughout the French Fifth Republic.”

Progressive International launched in May 2020 to unite, organize, and mobilize progressive groups and individuals around the world, and since then it has built a global Observatory “with the legal expertise, data science, and parliamentary power to track the attacks on our democratic institutions and provide a real-time defense against them.”

“The attempt to stifle political competition and subvert the democratic process is a direct assault on these core values.”

France’s snap elections—which Macron called after his party performed poorly in European elections—were held on June 30 and July 7. Since then, the Observatory noted, “a caretaker government has led France, with Macron citing the Paris Olympics as a reason to delay the appointment.”

While the Olympic Games have concluded, Macron opened the Paralympic Games in the French capital Wednesday evening. They are set to run through September 8.

Macron—defending his refusal to appoint Castets—has argued that because centrist and right-wing parties would block any actions by NFP, “the institutional stability of our country therefore requires us not to choose this option.” His critics in France are now planning “a large demonstration against Macron’s coup on September 7.”

Echoing the French critics, the Observatory declared Wednesday that “Macron’s move is a direct challenge to the democratic will of the people and an affront to the foundational tenets of political pluralism.”

“This action is not merely a political maneuver to hold onto power, but a direct attack on French progressive forces,” the Observatory said, pointing to pledges by RN and centrist leaders to move a no-confidence motion against any prime minister nominated from the NFP.

The Observatory also highlighted Macron’s “sinister divide-and-rule move” to isolate the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI), led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, by appealing to other NFP parties “to break the political paralysis.”

The other parties that make up NFP have rebuffed the French president and, according toFrance 24, “Mélenchon even threatened to start impeachment proceedings against Macron.”

Progressive International’s Observatory emphasized that “democracy thrives on the diversity of ideas and the peaceful transition of power. The attempt to stifle political competition and subvert the democratic process is a direct assault on these core values.”

The Observatory concluded with a “call to democratic forces worldwide to oppose Emmanuel Macron’s authoritarian efforts to repress the will of the French people—and join the call for the September 7 mobilization to defend it.”

Original article by Jessica Corbett republished from Common Dreams under a CC licence.

Continue ReadingProgressive International Slams Macron for ‘Authoritarian Efforts to Repress the Will of the French People’

Two months after elections, Macron refuses to nominate progressive prime minister

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Original article by Ana Vračar republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

NFP representatives ahead of talks with President Macron, August 2024. Source: Lucie Castets/X

Emmanuel Macron continues to block the formation of a New Popular Front-led government, sparking outrage over his disregard for democratic processes

Almost two months have passed since the snap election in France, and President Emmanuel Macron is still avoiding to nominate a new prime minister. His behavior has sparked outrage, particularly in left and progressive circles, who accuse him of usurping power and showing a gross lack of respect for democratic processes.

Following consultations with representatives of all parliamentary parties between August 23 and 26, Macron refused to nominate Lucie Castets, the candidate put forward by the New Popular Front (NFP), claiming he is acting to preserve “institutional stability.”

The NFP emerged as the group with the largest number of parliamentary seats in the election, despite not securing an absolute majority. This lack of an absolute majority has been exploited by political opponents, ranging from Macron’s liberals to the far-right led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, who argue that there was no clear election winner and seek to block a progressive government from taking office.

Read: Macron calls for ‘political pause’ amid post-election transition

Both liberals and right-wing factions have vowed to block an NFP-led government, especially if it includes ministers from the left-wing party France Unbowed (LFI). However, these threats have been denounced by NFP representatives as attempts to prevent the coalition from implementing its program, which aims to break with the neoliberal policies championed by the liberals and supported by the right.

“Emmanuel Macron understands that our priority, as the French people expect, will be to reverse his unfair pension reform and restore public services,” said Lucie Castets. “He is looking for excuses to prevent us from doing so.”

The President’s latest statements have been described as “a disgrace” and “lunatic” by leaders of the parties united in the NFP. “The President of the Republic has just created a situation of exceptional gravity,” summarized Jean-Luc Mélenchon, announcing that LFI will be calling for Macron’s impeachment.

“Anger. That is what millions of us are feeling this morning. Emmanuel Macron is telling us that elections are worthless. So, does democracy mean nothing to the President? That’s extremely dangerous,” Castets pointed out in an interview.

Meanwhile, Macron continues to insist that the only way forward is to find a candidate for prime minister who enjoys cross-party support, raising questions about the purpose of elections in the first place. According to the President, an NFP government would face an immediate vote of no confidence from the liberals and the right wing, leaving it completely ineffectual. Instead, he announced another round of conversations with parliamentary groups to define a way forward—talks that the NFP has already declared they will not attend, deeming them illegitimate.

“The gravity of the moment calls for a firm response from French society against the incredible abuse of power to which it is being subjected,” LFI said in a press statement. As a first step, the left party, along with student organizations and unions, has called for protests on September 7.

Original article by Ana Vračar republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Continue ReadingTwo months after elections, Macron refuses to nominate progressive prime minister

Macron alleges “nobody won” French elections, sparking ire

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Original article by Ana Vračar republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer at NATO summit, July 2024. Source: Emmanuel Macron/X

In a letter to voters, Emmanuel Macron appears to downplay the results of the general election in France and stated that “nobody won”

“In the end, nobody won,” President Emmanuel Macron remarked in an open letter published on July 10, describing the outcome of France’s general election. However, the New Popular Front (NFP), a left-progressive coalition, secured over 180 seats in Parliament, emerging as the largest group. As most would put it, the NFP won the elections.

Macron’s letter has sparked rage and incredulity, with many claiming that the president is undermining essential democratic mechanisms. At the very least, he seems to be gaslighting millions of voters who mobilized to keep the far-right from power.

Despite their victory, the NFP lacks an absolute majority. This means that the left would have to build support for its program among opposition parties. Failure to do so could plunge France into chaos and exacerbate the cost of living crisis and other issues (largely stemming from Macron’s policies), according to mainstream analysts.

Capitalizing on this fear, Macron is now calling on political forces that “uphold republican institutions, the rule of law, parliamentarianism, a European orientation, and French independence” to set aside differences and form a joint program for the country’s benefit. His appeal excludes the far-right National Rally, the third-largest group in parliament, but also appears to marginalize the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI).

During the campaign, Macron and his allies repeatedly equated the “far-left” with the far-right, despite an ongoing agreement that the priority of the election was preventing a National Rally victory. Yet, voters strongly supported France Unbowed, making it the most represented partner in the NFP. In response to Macron’s so-called call for unity, France Unbowed members reiterated their commitment to the existing NFP program, which gained significant voter support but excludes Macron’s ideas.

“We were told we won’t be able to achieve unity, and we did. We were told we won’t be able to come up with a program. We did, and we’re the only ones to have numbers to back it. We were told we wouldn’t win, and we won. We will succeed in proposing a prime minister and a government,” Éric Coquerel from France Unbowed stated on Thursday.

Read more: Macron delays mandate for New Popular Front

Since the election results were announced at the beginning of the week, Macron has taken steps to delay the scenario Coquerel describes. He has asked current Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to stay on a bit longer after offering his resignation. By publishing the letter, Macron may be buying more time to see if parts of the NFP can be persuaded to abandon the mandate given to them by the people and join the liberals, excluding France Unbowed. Signs of his success will emerge in the coming days, with the NFP’s potential announcement of a prime minister candidate and the first parliamentary session on July 18.

Original article by Ana Vračar republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Continue ReadingMacron alleges “nobody won” French elections, sparking ire