Gael de Santis: Autonomous France or EU is not enough, they must be social

Gael de Santis is an international desk editor at L'Humanite - the leading French left-wing journal. He spoke to Cross-border Talks about the 2022 French presidential elections.

TLDR: Macron's re-election and push for EU autonomy will be impacted by various factors, and France needs to prioritize social democracy, autonomy, and peace while addressing internal and external challenges.

1. 00:00 🇫🇷 Macron's re-election has implications for France, the EU, and Eastern Europe; Gael de Santis discusses the political context, Macron and Le Pen's styles, and the evolution of the National Front.
1.1 Gael de Santis, a foreign journalist at l'Humanite, discusses the importance of understanding the French political context and the politics represented by Macron and Le Pen.
1.2 The speaker discusses the program and political style of Macron and Le Pen, comparing their styles to those of other political figures.
1.3 Marine Le Pen has participated in multiple French presidential elections, with her party reaching the second round three times, highlighting the flaws in the French electoral system.
1.4 The National Front, a far-right party in France, has evolved over the years, becoming more politically influential and adopting a more polite image under the leadership of Marine Le Pen.

2. 07:28 🇫🇷 The National Association in France is shifting focus to address social issues, while Emmanuel Macron's policies have caused a divide among voters and he is seen as representing international capital.
2.1 The National Association has shifted focus from migration issues to addressing purchasing power and social programs in order to appeal to the working class.
2.2 Le Pen's protection of people is not left-wing and she is against trade union rights and giving more rights to workers.
2.3 The National Association in the European Parliament claims to be social, but they are against women's rights, LGBT rights, and taking power away from multinationals, showing a lack of true social concern.
2.4 Emmanuel Macron, a former finance minister, created En Marche and attracted voters from both the left and right, but his policies have caused a divide among voters.
2.5 Macron represents international capital and has implemented reforms to benefit capital investment and competitiveness, while toughening labor laws.
2.6 Emmanuel Macron represents the bourgeoisie without an intermediary, and the political elite should mediate to avoid social unrest.

3. 17:11 🗳️ The far-right in France has more votes than the entire left, with working class and industrial workers supporting Marine Le Pen, while Emmanuel Macron's support comes mainly from the elderly and upper class workers.
3.1 The far-right in France has more votes than the entire left, with a significant portion of working class and industrial workers voting for Marine Le Pen.
3.2 The left has a low popular vote, with only 32-33%, and the popular classes are more represented by the far right and moderates than by the left.
3.3 Emmanuel Macron's support comes mainly from the elderly and upper class workers, while the working age population tends to support Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Le Pen.
3.4 Emmanuel Macron is seen as the candidate of the rich and working, with different levels of support across various social classes.
3.5 Women are increasingly voting for the far right, particularly in the north and Paris, posing a problem for the future of the left.
3.6 The extreme right is the main political force in rural areas, while the left dominates in the cities, leading to polarization among the working class based on their views on foreigners.

4. 28:37 🇫🇷 France's upcoming legislative elections in June 2022 will impact Macron's maneuvering, with potential for left-wing, traditional right-wing, or far-right parliament.

5. 35:17 🇫🇷 Macron's re-election and push for EU autonomy will be impacted by Brexit, Biden's presidency, and the war in Ukraine, as France aims for a special voice in international affairs but faces tensions with the idea of European autonomy.

6. 40:27 🇪🇺 European defense progressing, Macron and Scholz promoting autonomy, but need for more integrated and social Europe, internal challenges for Macron, difficulties with peaceful demonstrations in France.

7. 48:38 🇫🇷 France needs to prioritize social democracy, autonomy, and peace, and should withdraw from war involvement to create security for Europe and France, while also addressing issues such as social dumping and violations of the rule of law in other European countries.

8. 55:35 🗨 France needs to be more social and not just autonomous.