Tomás Ó Flatharta

Looking at Things from the Left

Posts Tagged ‘New People’s Front (NFP) France

“Progressing by Grassroot Networks” – Supporting Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), Palestine and Ukraine; Recent Developments in France

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This is a very stimulating interview with Catherine Samary on solidarity with Palestine and Ukraine – and also about the unstable political scene in France, where President Macron was electorally defeated by the New Popular Front (Nouveau Front Populaire) – and then made an unstable parliamentary deal with the far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

President Macron, Prime Minister Michel Barnier, Far-Right Extremist Marine Le Pen – Versus Left-Wing Resistance

Two sources :

International Viewpoint :
Palestine, Ukraine – Progressing By Grassroot Networks

Posle :
Palestine, Ukraine – Progressing By Grassroot Networks – Posle

— Before we turn to the discussion of the war in Ukraine and prospects for left internationalism, let’s talk about the recent developments in your home country. How do you analyse the current political situation in France and the role that left-wing politics might play in it?

— Michel Barnier’s new government combines two core elements: racism and attacks on social rights. The latter is evident in the ongoing parliamentary debates over the 2025 budget and social security funding. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (Rassemblement National) has played a key role in these discussions, not least due to the fact that no single party has managed to achieve a stable majority in the French parliament. Even though the result of the New Popular Front (Nouveau Front Populaire) in the recent legislative election, which followed the dissolution of the Assembly last June, was unexpectedly high — and most welcome — it is still only a minor and relative victory.

This situation is unlikely to change unless the various forces within the New Popular Front come together, consolidate their victory, and start a large-scale mobilization. This could be achieved through the creation of local political alliances across the entire country that would be focused on concrete struggles. We should not forget that mass mobilizations against attacks on the social system are still possible — and so is the collapse of the government itself.

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Written by tomasoflatharta

Nov 26, 2024 at 12:58 pm

Posted in Anti War Movements, Apartheid, Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS), Catherine Samary, Emigration and Immigration, Emmanuel Macron (President), Ensemble! (Revolutionary Left), European Network Solidarity with Ukraine and against war Basic consensus, European Union, Fortress Europe, Fourth International, France, Free Russians Ireland, French parliamentary elections July 2024, Genocide, Human Rights, International Political Analysis, Ireland, Irish Left With Ukraine, Israel, Israel Assault on Gaza, October 2023, Jean Luc Melenchon, Left Wing Opponents of Neoliberalism, Left Wing Organisations, Marine Le Pen, Migration in Europe, New Popular Front (Nouveau Front Populaire (2024), Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste (NPA) France, Political Prisoners in Russia, Posle Magazine, Racism, Rassemblement National (RN), Russia, Sotsialnyi Rukh (Social Movement), Ukraine, Ukraine Russia War 2022, War

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Democratic crisis in France – President Macron appoints prime minister Barnier rejected by voters

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Pierre Rousset reviews a democratic crisis in France.

At a time when the far-right is marching forward all over Europe (including Ireland), France offers an example of left-wing resistance. The The New People’s Front (NFP) won a surprise parliamentary victory, but President Macron retaliated by making a deal with the far-right.

Source :
Democratic Crisis in France – President Macron appoints Prime Minister Barnier rejected by voters

There are many interesting articles on this subject here : 2024 Democracy Crisis in France – ESSF


On 9 June, Emmanuel Macron unexpectedly decided to dissolve the National Assembly, just as the Rassemblement Nationale (far-right National Rally party of Marine Le Pen) was gaining momentum. Three weeks later, the results of the first round of voting were unequivocal: the parties of the presidential bloc were crushed, and in the second round the National Rally could hope to win an absolute majority of seats in Parliament, or at least be the largest party. (The French electoral system uses two rounds of voting. If no candidate gets an absolute majority in the first round, the names of the top candidates go to a second round. The one with the most votes in the second round wins).

These hopes were dashed. After the second round, the far right ended up in third place, behind the Nouveau Front populaire (the New People’s Front formed by parties of the broad Left) and the presidential party.

The electorate wanted neither Macronism nor the National Rally in the corridors of power. Today, thanks to Macron, it has both. It took him eight weeks to choose a prime minister: Michel Barnier, a member of Les Républicains party, which won only 5% of the vote. He had previously negotiated this appointment with Marine Le Pen, to ensure that she would not immediately table a vote of no confidence against him. Madame agreed… conditionally.

Now, the choice of a prime minister depends on the goodwill of the far right!

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