Sylvie Ferrer

ON Thursday September 5 Emmanuel Macron, having first gained the support of Marine Le Pen, appointed as prime minister Michel Barnier from the right-wing Republican Party (which came in fourth place in the elections and constitutes the smallest bloc in the Assembly).

For the New Popular Front Jean-Luc Melenchon said that the elections had been “stolen” and that France would see a “Macron-Le Pen” government imposed, and the Communists called for mass New Popular Front mobilisation against this anti-democratic coup.

Sylvie Ferrer, from the Haute Pyrenees region of France, is one of the region’s deputies to the French National Assembly. She was elected as a candidate of the New Popular Front which includes her party, France Insoumise (France Unbowed), the Communist Party, the Socialist Party and the Ecologists.

Here she speaks to the Morning Star about the radical, pro-working class emergency programme of the New Popular Front (NPF), and how the French state in the form of its president and his political and media supporters are carrying out an “anti-democratic coup” in orchestrated attempts to block it, using the fascist-led National Rally as its “spare wheel.”

“It is a question of ensuring that the indignation of the people translates into actions to say that the president has no right of veto over the results of the elections,” says Ferrer.

“The French people have massively mobilised to prevent the extreme right from governing our country but also to break with Macronist politics, and while the NPF came out on top in the election, the President of the Republic chose as Prime Minister a member of the party that won 5 per cent in the legislative elections.

“This is a ‘democratic denial’ since the vote of the French people is not respected.

A petition against this  – launched just a few days ago – has more than 280,000 signatures and is growing rapidly. Preparations for the mass mobilisations and actions are in place – beginning on September 7 with demonstrations outside the prefectures (local government offices and symbols of political authority) in towns and cities throughout France.

“Faced with the denial of democracy by the President of the Republic we will use the democratic means at our disposal: the motion of censure, the proposal for constitutional dismissal of the president, and the call for the mobilisation of the people throughout France. The NPF will censure Michel Barnier’s government and many of us will demonstrate across the country on September 7.”

Macron called the snap two-round legislative election held in June as a desperate — and failed — response to his “centrist” Ensemble party being routed in the European Parliament elections. He hoped that this defeat was a passing “protest vote.” It wasn’t.

As Ferrer says: “At the end of the second round of the legislative election, our coalition of the New Popular Front came out on top — and that of Emmanuel Macron lost… again! 

“As president he should have appointed Lucie Castets, the person chosen by the left-wing organisations of the winning NPF as prime minister, in order that an NPF government could implement its emergency social measures as supported by the French people: repeal of the increased pension age to 64, increase in the minimum wage to €1,600 (£1,350) net per month, increase in the pay of civil servants, repeal of the punitive unemployment insurance reform, a freeze on the prices of basic necessities.

“That is why Emmanuel Macron blocked the appointment of Lucie Castets. He does not want her to be able to establish a government and implement even the slightest measure of the NFP programme, the programme that won the election.”

At first Macron and his media men attempted character assassination of one of the NPF leaders, Jean-Luc Melenchon of France Insoumise. In a style very reminiscent of the sustained co-ordinated attack on Jeremy Corbyn, they alleged that he was “destabilising and dangerous” and “could not be allowed” to be included in any government. Melenchon reacted immediately!

Ferrer explains: “Melenchon asked Emmanuel Macron: ‘If there were no France Insoumise members proposed as ministers, do you commit to appointing Lucie Castets as prime minister?’ The president replied: ‘No, it is not Lucie Castets but the programme that we do not want.’ 

“The NPF remains united on the basis of the need to implement the programme for which the French people voted. Of course, we don’t have overall majority of Assembly seats, but it is the job of an NPF government to seek to build support for our Bills.”

But if the NPF succeeds in its rightful claim to government, could it really overcome the combined force of the neoliberals and fascist-led National Rally in the National Assembly — whose declared shared intention is to bring down any NPF government and force a new election?  

Ferrer is both determined and optimistic. “More than 80 per cent of the population is against the increase in retirement age, so there should be a majority in the chamber to repeal it. 

“On the increase in low wages, the precarious situation on the one hand and the proven increase in the wealth of French billionaires on the other can allow us to argue about the relevance of increasing workers’ wages. Indeed, under the government of Macron, the four richest French billionaires have seen their fortunes increase by 87 per cent since 2020.

“At the same time, the cumulative wealth of 90 per cent of French people has tumbled… Convincing people of the relevance of our Bills, including the emergency measures in the NPF programme, would prevent us from reaching the point where a motion presented against the NPF government could obtain a majority of votes.”

This is the very demanding work that Castets and her government-in-waiting are confident of carrying out — fighting to build majorities for progressive reform in the National  Assembly, based on growing pressure of support and action from and by  the people as a whole… and the isolation of neoliberals and fascists. So — challenges and struggle in the Assembly, in communities, in unions and on the streets. But first, the anti-democratic coup must be stopped.

But there is no doubt about the dangers as well as the opportunities ahead.

“The National Rally is the spare wheel of Emmanuel Macron’s camp,” says Sylvie. “Its deputies voted against the increase in the minimum wage, against the re-establishment of the wealth tax, against maintaining retirement at 60, against the reduction in the price of rents… it of course opposes Lucie Castets being appointed prime minister because in terms of economic policy, it is the same as that of Emmanuel Macron — plus more — and accompanied by racism and xenophobia.”

But many working-class people voted for Le Pen’s National Rally — usually in misdirected blame for the inequalities and injustices of neoliberal France — and in misguided hope of some sort of change from the very real and widespread economic, political and social problems of a system administered by the dominant parties of the Assembly, and supported by the media moguls.

“Today, most of the continuous TV channels are owned by billionaires and therefore a whole communication is put in place to guide public opinion and ensure that this far-right party is legitimised and ‘de-demonised’… while accusing the NPF of having an unworkable and dangerous programme.”

Ferrer repeats: “The priorities of the NPF are to restore purchasing power to the lowest wage earners to boost the economy by distributing the country’s wealth. Increasing the minimum wage to €1,600 net per month, increasing the index point for civil servants to 10 per cent, repealing the reform of retirement at 64 and unemployment insurance, freezing the prices of basic necessities.

“Since its inception, the NPF’s programme has received the support of many organisations, unions and citizens who have seen in the social, ecological and democratic emergency measures a coherent articulation of the issues, and concrete responses to the demands of private and public-sector workers — local NPF branches are being created everywhere.”

In France and in Britain, a united front of the people is the need of the hour.