Is France facing civil war? President Emmanuel Macron is claiming no less just a week before the first round of parliamentary elections. Both the National Rally (RN) and the left-wing party La France insoumise (LFI) will lead to chaos, Macron said Monday on the „Generation Do It Yourself” radio program. He warned against „the political programs of both parties.”
On the one hand, the National Front divides society on security issues by assigning people either religion or origin. On the other hand, the “Proud France” movement spreads “a form of sectarianism.” Macron said both lead to “civil war.”
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Macron is facing criticism from his camp
The head of state’s statements were criticized from both the left and the right. Outgoing National Rally Party MP Edwige Diaz criticized the “irresponsible statements”: “Emmanuel Macron is ready to say any nonsense, spread fake news, and try to save what he can from his camp. His comments show how nervous he is and that he is losing his balance.”
Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France insoumise accused Macron of „always there to incite.” Communist Ian Brusatte accused the president of being the one who has been causing chaos in the country for seven years: “I remind you that the yellow vests appeared in the first five years of Emmanuel Macron’s term in office. Today we have a country in ruins, with growing inequality. “This is the result of Emmanuel Macron’s policies.”
Even within his camp, Macron faces criticism. A former Macron minister, who requested to remain anonymous, told the press: “It is unbearable.” „I don’t understand him anymore.” As one outgoing member of the ruling party complained: “Macron is exaggerating, and we are losing our political compass.”
Security expert: „Anything is possible in France”
It looks completely different Well-known security expert Alan Power. He told RMC on Tuesday that there was “in fact a risk of civil war.” There was an enormous amount of anger building up in France, which had “intensified over the past thirty years due to the estrangement between the people and the politicians.”
In two weeks, exactly a year after the unrest following the death of teenager Nahil, violent clashes are expected to occur again – especially if the National Front wins the election. “There have been unrest in France for a thousand years. But right now it is escalating, there are more and more riots on TikTok. They start very quickly and stop quickly. You go from rioting to looting and then you move on,” said Bauer. Since „A few years later I realized that anything is possible in France.”
But Power primarily blames Macron himself for the chaos, saying of the president: “For the first time I see an arsonist surprised that there is a fire.” This actually sparked a civil war in New Caledonia.
In response to the resounding defeat of the Ennahdha Party in the European elections, Macron dissolved the National Assembly and announced new elections for the French House of Representatives in two rounds on June 30 and July 7. In the latest opinion polls, the National Front is leading with 35 percent, followed by the green left electoral alliance, the New Popular Front, with just under 30 percent. The government camp lags behind by about 18 percent.