Photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash
The success of the Far Right in the first round of the French elections threatens the future of the European Union, it has been claimed.
It is said that there is a real risk of the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) obtaining an absolute majority in the French Assemblée Nationale in Sunday’s second round of voting.
This threatens not only French democracy but also the future of the European Union.
This is according to a joint declaration by the European Greens, the Party of European Socialists, the European Left and the European Free Alliance.
It was issued on Thursday just ahead of the decisive vote at the weekend when Marine Le Pen’s party could gain control of the French legislature for the first time.
The two French progressive parties announced on 4 July that they had come together and joined forces in Le Nouveau Front Populaire (New Popular Front), to block the far right from gaining power.
A statement said, “This shows the sense of responsibility and commitment that France’s progressive, Green and left parties feel for their country.”
“The Front Populaire stands for a greener, fairer, more socially just and more democratic society that respects workers’ rights and the diversity of its territories.”
The declaration goes on to state that, “As European political parties, we support our member parties in the Nouveau Front Populaire and the broad platform that they represent.”
“The rise of the far right in both the European and French elections has sent shock waves through our democratic institutions,” the parties state.
“We call on all political parties to respect the cordon sanitaire, the firewall against the far right at all political levels. We call on all French parties to ask their voters, in every constituency where a RN member could be elected, to vote for the best placed candidate to beat him or her.”
“We call on every individual who wants France to remain a free and democratic society to go to the polls on 7 July.”
“Each person’s vote has the power to influence the historic outcome of the second round.”
“Voting for the Nouveau Front Populaire will help to defend human and social rights and preserve the democratic freedom of the people in a socially just and sustainable France and Europe.”
