These general elections confirm the appalling danger of the far right, which is obtaining historically high scores. These scores are a combination of the development of nationalism and racism in certain sections of the population, the growing support of the ruling classes for the far right, relayed by some of the media, and the collapse of the right (Macronist as well as the traditional right Les Républicains) whose policies have disgusted the population. With the possible arrival in power of the Rassemblement National (RN) and its allies and supporters, the danger of neo-fascism is growing a little more in France.
The good news of this election is the resurgence of the left. Its high scores were achieved thanks to the unity of the political, campaigning and trade union forces, which mobilized hundreds of thousands of people to demonstrate and campaign. This unity does not paint anyone red, it does not forget the responsibilities of the liberal policies pursued by governments claiming to be left-wing, from Mitterrand to Hollande1, in causing the disorientation and anger of the working classes who have suffered from them. This unity is based on the urgent need to implement the programme of the New Popular Front. But this unity around the New Popular Front is not at this stage strong enough to offset the dangerous pressure from the far right, the campaigns of slanderous accusations of anti-Semitism and terrorism, the false and insulting symmetry between the “extremes” promoted by the Macronists, but also the doubts arising from the accumulated social defeats and about the solidity of unity on the left damaged by the internal conflicts of recent weeks.
To roll back the far right and push forward a fighting left, in a situation of deep crisis in capitalism, we need to strengthen the unity of action of the whole left. From the bottom to the top, we need to stand together and fight side by side: demonstrating against the far right and defending ourselves against attacks by fascist groupuscules, resisting anti-social, discriminatory or authoritarian measures, police and racist violence, sexist and sexual violence, defending increases in wages and social benefits, a return to full retirement at 60, bringing to life internationalist and anti-colonial solidarity with Palestine, Ukraine and Kanaky and more generally with all the peoples who are victims of French imperialism. It is by mobilizing together to change the balance of power that we can change life.
The NPA-L’Anticapitaliste calls on all left-wing political, trade union and community organizations – starting with the political forces that make up the New Popular Front – to meet as soon as possible, at local and national level, to implement joint actions wherever possible. Before and after the elections, in the ballot box and in the struggles, strengthening the left in action is the way to restore the confidence of the working classes in their own strengths.
Over the next few days, we need a popular upsurge against the dangerous rise of the far right, and we need to build the largest possible mobilizations and street demonstrations.
As for the second round of parliamentary elections next Sunday, we know that whatever happens, we will need a solid bloc of the social and political left to resist. Wherever the conditions are right for these candidates to win, we need to confirm and amplify the votes cast in the first round in favour of the New Popular Front and its allies.
The main challenge of this second round is still preventing the far right from taking office in a few days’ time, and this is an essential objective for our social camp. We know that the policies defended or put in place by the right, in particular Macronism in power, have largely helped to pave the way for the RN, by adopting some of its measures and helping to give it legitimacy, while increasingly attacking large sectors of the left. However, between two dangers, we must first do everything we can to eliminate the biggest and most immediate one.
Next Sunday, in view of the immediate interests of people of immigrant background, of the whole world of labour, of the defence of rights and public freedoms, it is imperative to defeat the RN, its allies and its supporters, preferably with a good left.
Beyond the second round, what was built at the heart of this campaign, a united and militant left, must continue: confirming a programme for a break with the past, feeding on and nurturing the mobilizations that are more necessary than ever, enabling as many people as possible to remain organized beyond these elections, a prerequisite for reviving a real fighting left.
In this context, the New Popular Front and all the organizations involved in the struggle, trade unions and associations, have a huge responsibility in the period ahead: to build the broadest possible united collectives and mobilizations in the face of the far right and Macronism (if it survives these elections), to convey the aspirations of the working classes and impose the measures in the NFP programme. In the ballot box and on the streets, defeat the RN, take up the fight for social progress, for the planet, for a different society!
Source >> International Viewpoint
Footnotes
- Former Socialist Party presidents, François Mitterrand 1981-1995, François Hollande 2012-2017. ↩︎
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