Ugo Palheta is a French sociologist and coeditor of the Marxist journal Contretemps. He is author of The Possibility of Fascism.
The rise of the far right in France has gone hand in hand with the growth of racist, authoritarian tendencies among self-styled centrists like Emmanuel Macron. The only way to beat back the fascist threat is by confronting those tendencies head-on.
Faced with France’s snap elections, the left-wing parties built an alliance in record time. But to defeat Marine Le Pen, sounding the alarm about the far right won’t suffice. The Left will need to offer a positive vision for working-class France.
Emmanuel Macron’s government has angered millions with its attack on the French pension system. But the strength of the protest movement owes to struggles that came before — and the organizations allowing a sustained challenge to the neoliberal agenda.
With polls showing Marine Le Pen closer than ever to winning the French presidency, anti-fascists should use all possible means to stop her. Voting for Jean-Luc Mélenchon can block her path — and stop France’s decades-long slide toward far-right dominance.
Fascist TV pundit Éric Zemmour has announced his bid for the French presidency. His advance is part of a rising tide of Islamophobia and authoritarianism pushing France toward the far right.
Soldiers’ and police unions’ calls for action to save France from chaos show how fascist ideas have spread within the state. For decades, neoliberal governments have increased these repressive bodies’ powers — and today, they’re preparing the ground for a Le Pen presidency.
France’s National Front has used all the old fascist tricks to gain power.
The persistent targeting of Muslims in France requires a left response.