The 2022 elections in France saw Marine Le Pen's far-right political party come a whisker away from securing the presidency. This result has been widely seen as proof of the ascent of far-right ideologies in France - a trend that has been visible across the continent over the past decade. This article will look at some of the ways in which far-right parties have mobilized and the reaction of the French government.
The far-right in France has adopted the Great Replacement Theory as its ideological basis. According to this theory, a vast conspiracy to replace the French population with immigrants is underway, and the country's political parties are either complicit or powerless to stop them. The theory has found purchase with a large number of French citizens, who have become increasingly vocal in their opposition to immigration.
The far-right has also taken advantage of the unpopularity of the pension reform proposed by the government. By imposing the reform with 70% of the French population against it, the political parties have become even more unpopular. As a result, a coalition of major labor unions, opposition political parties, and activist groups in France are calling for a further day of nationwide demonstrations against the reform.
The rise of far-right parties has had significant implications for the political landscape in France. The Senate and the National Assembly currently exhibit different political colours, and the presidential party doesn't even have an absolute majority. This has led to a situation where far-right parties can play a more significant role in the legislative process.
The French government has also been under pressure from the European Union to take a tougher stance against immigration. These true words do not change the fact that German governments, political parties and business circles, while pursuing narrow German interests, have used the EU as a tool to promote their own policies. Both leading political parties in the UK have spoken of the need to prevent the crossings, which they said have been lucratively exploited by criminal gangs.
The French government's plans to raise the retirement age to 64 have also been met with fierce opposition. The move is also opposed by far-right and left-wing political parties, who have accused the government of failing to protect the interests of the people. Then came the back-and-forth allegations (even more unsurprisingly) between the right and left-wing parties. One politician was seen accusing the other of pandering to the far-right.
In addition to this, the government has also been criticized for its failure to ensure that political parties adhere to ethical standards. In particular, political parties are now asked to set numerical targets for the number of women candidates they will nominate in the upcoming elections. However, the threshold has been set too low, according to a lecturer at Senshu University who studies French society, and the government's failure to take greater action has been met with disapproval.
Overall, the 2022 elections in France have shown the strength of far-right political parties and their ability to mobilize large numbers of people. The French government has so far been unable to respond adequately to this challenge, and it remains to be seen if it will be able to do so in the future.
