When French President Emmanuel Macron chose to dissolve the National Assembly last month, right after the far-right won big in European elections, he set off one of the most intense periods in recent French history.
Many citizens across France said that this decision was not right. Macron and his team members had won many seats in the Parliament. But now after this decision they were about to lose tha advantages. It is very risky for Macron to move.
At this time, the political landscape in France is full of tensions. Could the far-right National Rally actually take over? Their chances had never been better.
Far-right National Rally won again in the first round of the election campaign. They got 33% of the vote, which is approximately 11 million votes.
Just like before, Macron and the left used a strategy called the “republican front,” where they teamed up to stop the National Rally from gaining more power.
At the start, this tool did not work according tgo expectations for translating the National Rally’s support into parliamentary seats. But an unexpected twist came into light with the second round of election. All expect that the far-right got most of the votes but the result is totally opposite. Front runner could beat the far-right. So they ended up in a disappointing third place in parliament.
At the same time, the muslim community in France face increased persecution throughout the election process.
In today’s post-truth era, it’s alarming to see how deep conspiratorial Islamophobia has penetrated the highest levels of government. Earlier this year, Macron and top officials met to discuss the supposed threat of Muslim Brotherhood infiltration in France. This led to a report on “political Islam” and a harsher crackdown on Muslim civil society.
The report, due out this fall, will likely describe this imaginary threat and suggest measures to counter it. Expect this to form the basis for future Islamophobic laws, like banning the hijab in public.
Furthermore, during the Olympics the police department of France treats citizens harshly. They conducted many raids such as 250 alone in France and in this investigation most of Muslim community got targeted, approximately 5100. Many claim that these raids ended up under arrest for the whole event.
Both groups of the National Assembly are now facing an unusual situation nowadays. No group has the right and power to rule and lead France correctly. This is the reason that many people are confused about who will be in charge and what this means for institutional Islamophobia.
The left, Macron’s centrists, and some right-wing allies are trying to form a coalition that could lead the government until the 2027 presidential election. However, just because this coalition may emerge doesn’t mean it will address racism effectively. “Republican values” often seem like a superficial excuse to suppress political dissent and fail to protect the rights and lives of Muslims, whether in France or Palestine.
Political growth
The stance of France’s Insoumise party has changed. They pushed aside all those who spoke against Islamophobia.
They did this to join forces with other leftist groups, but it meant they gave up on protecting Muslims’ rights.
The New Popular Front’s plan doesn’t include getting rid of Islamophobic laws, even though they supported this idea in the past. They also call the 7 October attacks “terrorism,” which supports the global War on Terror’s anti-Muslim view.
Plus, the party has backed Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin in his local election and supported a Socialist Party member for prime minister, despite his ongoing support for Israel amid the violence.
Many people in France are still struggling with Islamophobia and anti-Palestine prejudice.
No matter what the new republican partnership ends up being, it’s probable that an Islamophobic law will be introduced shortly after Macron’s report is released.
Muslims community in France is suffering a lot in France. They are also feeling exhausted. But this tough situation in the nation also explores many new ideas for the political landscape. Also Muslims are learning good lessons from Palestinian and increasing their focus to become independent in France.
After the recent rise of far-right views, a new antiracist and anti-colonial movement has started, with Cage International playing a big role. This is a great example of a strong grassroots effort.
