Refer Report
“Stolen Election” Protests in 150 Places Including Nice and Paris
Mélenchon: “Democracy is the humility to accept defeat”
The fourth ‘cohabitation government’ in history, the path to the prime minister’s post is expected to be difficult
A protester holds a placard that reads, “Macron, resign, treason,” during a demonstration against the appointment of Prime Minister Michel Barnier in Paris on the 7th (local time). AP Yonhap News.
Protests were held across France on the 7th (local time) to protest French President Emmanuel Macron’s appointment of right-wing Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The appointment of the prime minister brought an end to the interim government that had lasted nearly two months, but as public opinion worsens, French politics is once again in turmoil.
According to the daily Le Monde and other sources, protests against the appointment of Prime Minister Barnier were held throughout the day in 150 places across the country, starting with Nantes and Laval in western France, Bordeaux in the southwest, and Nice in the south. The Ministry of the Interior estimated that around 110,000 people participated in the protests, which began with the far-left party France Invincible (LFI) within the left-wing coalition and youth groups.
Citizens who took part in the protests claimed that the appointment of Prime Minister Barnier was ignoring the will of the voters who gave the most votes to the left-wing coalition. They marched with placards that read “Stolen elections” and “Macron’s seizure of power.” They also chanted “Macron, step down.” In Paris, five people were detained by police as protests intensified.
Citizens protest against the appointment of Prime Minister Michel Barnier in Paris, France on the 7th (local time). EAP Yonhap News.
According to the results released by polling agency Elave on the 6th, 74% of French citizens who responded to the survey said, “I think President Macron ignored the election results.” Another 55% responded, “I think the election results were stolen.” Apasane (63), a citizen who participated in the protest, called Prime Minister Barnier a “disguised far-right” to France 24, saying, “He is just a puppet chosen by Macron to continue to rule.”
LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon attended the Paris demonstration and urged the protesters to “go into the long fight,” saying, “Democracy is not only the art of accepting victory, but also the humility of accepting defeat.” Mélenchon has been increasing his criticism day after day since Barnier was appointed prime minister, saying, “President Macron has officially denied the results of the parliamentary elections.”
The Communist Party and the Green Party of the Left Alliance also participated in the demonstration. The moderate Socialist Party did not encourage participation in the demonstration at the party level. Meanwhile, the far-right National Rally (RN), which effectively served as a “screening committee” in the process of appointing the prime minister, said it would decide whether to support him after watching Prime Minister Barnier’s first speech.
The RN has set a condition that it will not vote for the motion of no confidence if the Barnier government respects them as a political force and prioritizes immigration and security issues. RN leader Jordan Bardella emphasized that “Prime Minister Barnier is under the democratic oversight of the RN, which has become a key political force in parliament and democracy,” and that “the reality is that we can no longer do anything without the RN.”
Newly appointed French Prime Minister Michel Barnier attends the retirement and handover ceremony for former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at the Hotel Marignon in Paris on the 5th (local time). Reuters/Yonhap News
Earlier, President Macron appointed Barnier as the next prime minister on the 5th, about 60 days after the early general election in July. Prime Minister Barnier is the oldest prime minister (73 years old) since the establishment of the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and is a true right-wing Republican. He served as a minister three times and was the head of negotiations with the European Union (EU) regarding Brexit (Britain’s withdrawal from the EU).
Regarding this appointment, there is an interpretation that President Macron has chosen a veteran politician with the lowest possibility of a vote of no confidence to normalize the parliament that has fallen into a political deadlock. However, many believe that it will be difficult to overcome the threshold of a vote of no confidence in the parliament due to strong opposition from the opposition party.
LFI is also questioning Prime Minister Barnier’s political leanings, pointing out that he voted against the decriminalization of homosexuality twice when he was a member of parliament. At his inauguration on the 5th, Prime Minister Barnier announced a “right-wing move” by listing “immigration control” as one of his policy priorities. However, Prime Minister Barnier, who has started preliminary work to form a government, has stated that he “will not rule out” left-wing figures in the appointment of ministers.
With the appointment of Prime Minister Barnier, the fourth ‘cohabitation government’ in the history of the French Fifth Republic has been born. Some are speculating that if Prime Minister Barnier’s room for maneuver is limited due to the checks of the hard-left, the leadership of the cohabitation government will ultimately pass to President Macron.
Source: Korean