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June 24, 2024 – 19:57
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, assured this Monday that the electoral programs of his far-right and radical left rivals lead to “civil war”, after the far-right leader Jordan Bardella said he was “prepared” to govern.
“The response of the extreme right” in terms of insecurity, “refers people to a religion or an origin” and that is how “it divides and leads to civil war,” declared the centrist president in the podcast “Génération Do It Yourself.”
On the other hand, La Francia Insumisa (LFI, radical left) proposes “a form of communitarianism… a bit electoral”, “but which also has civil war behind it, because above all it refers people exclusively to their religious or community belonging” , he added.
His statements took place six days before the first round of the legislative elections in France, which Macron unexpectedly brought forward after the victory of the far-right National Rally party (RN) in the European elections in France on June 9.
“We are prepared” to govern, Bardella, a 28-year-old rising star of the extreme right and its candidate for prime minister, assured hours before, if he achieves an absolute majority in the most uncertain legislative elections in France’s recent history. The runoff is scheduled for July 7.
“The RN is not prepared to govern,” centrist Prime Minister Gabriel Attal reacted on Europe 1 radio, for whom it is “an opposition party and not a government party.”
RN and its allies lead the polls in the legislative elections with around 35% of voting intention, followed by the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP), which includes LFI, –between 27% and 29.5%– and Macron’s centrist alliance – around 20%.
In the presentation of his program, Bardella reiterated the main lines of his movement on security and immigration control and promised a “’big bang’ of authority” in school, proposing the use of uniforms, the obligation to speak from you to teachers and the ban on cell phones in educational centers.
“Seven years of Macronism have weakened the country,” said Bardella, who reiterated his plans to expel foreigners convicted of crimes and cut spending “that favors immigration.”
To try to attract right-wing voters dissatisfied with Macron, the RN prime ministerial candidate attacked the economic balance of the centrist government, whose public debt and deficits exceed European limits.
And he also criticized the NFP program, since in his opinion it will cause immigration to skyrocket and a deep economic crisis. France will become “Venezuela, but without oil,” he added.
– “Very vigilant” with Russia –
Regarding international politics, the candidate for prime minister assured that, if he came to power, he would maintain his country’s support for Ukraine, but he would oppose the sending of long-range missiles and French troops to Ukrainian soil.
Although his detractors consider RN to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bardella assured that his eventual government would remain “very vigilant” against “Russian attempts at interference,” which he considered a “threat to France and Europe.”
And regarding the conflict between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, he estimated that “to recognize a Palestinian State today would be to recognize terrorism.” France is home to the main Jewish community in Europe.
Despite fears about the arrival of the extreme right to power, the current MEP tried to be reassuring and presented himself as the prime minister of “all French people” and the “guarantor of the institutions” against “disorder” and “violence.” ”.
Macron, whose mandate ends in 2027, caused a political earthquake in France with the unexpected electoral advance, which could force him to share power with a government of another political color in a cohabitation.
“Our support for Ukraine continues and will continue to be constant,” the president said this Monday after meeting with the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, underlining the “unequivocal determination [de Francia] to remain with the Ukrainians in the long term.”
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