France: what is fuelling the unrest?
France was rocked by waves of violent protests on the weekend. Following protest marches against social problems, there were arsonist attacks, vandalism and street clashes in several cities across the country. President Emmanuel Macron spoke of "rioters from far-left groups" engaging in acts of violence together with criminal groups. Europe's press takes a closer look.
Catastrophic institutional failure
The country is sinking into a deep crisis, Le Point laments:
“No leading figure is proving to be up to the task. Emmanuel Macron is rejected, the presidential candidates of the democratic parties are going unheard, and the ministers all cut a poor figure. The chaos, the insurrectionist violence, the budget deficits and mountain of debt: all this is robbing France of the leeway to tackle the crisis, and is perceived as the tragic acknowledgement of failure of a regime on its way out. ... October 17 will mark a turning point. France has presented the world with a shocking image. ... The institutions have been shaken to the core. Trust has evaporated. Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are rubbing their hands with glee.”
Modernisation was the goal, chaos the result
Proto Thema worries:
“Citizens are seeing their quality of life deteriorate while continuing to pay high taxes. Young people fear they will be worse off than their parents. And governments respond with promises they know they cannot keep. It's everyone against everyone. The perfect recipe for chaos and the triumph of extremism. Emmanuel Macron was elected almost a decade ago as the man who would bridge old ideological divides and modernise France. Today, as he ends his term in office, he leaves behind a deeply divided society and a political centre that is struggling to win over even its traditional supporters.”
Clash of extremists
France correspondent Stefan Brändle comments in Der Standard:
“The underlying reason for the tensions is that the French Republic makes a promise to its young citizens that it is unable to keep: the promise of equality – égalité. Those who grow up in the banlieues generally experience this failed promise first-hand. ... The greatest responsibility, however, lies with two political extremists. On the right, Marine Le Pen is challenging the existing order simply by standing as a presidential candidate. For his part, left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon is adding fuel to the fire of the student protests on a daily basis, and what's more, undermining the authority of the state and the police – who have never acted particularly intelligently in France. ... The clash between these two extremists is dividing and eroding democracy in the country, and inevitably bringing the conflict to boiling point.”
Look at who is benefitting
De Morgen believes it is important to identify those who stand to gain from violent protests:
“The question is not only who is behind the masks, but also who stands to gain politically from these crimes. ... The answer is: Marine Le Pen. Every firebomb and every act of looting plays into the hands of the French far right because it increases the public's calls for order. Much to the delight of Putin, who once secured a loan for Le Pen and is counting on her to withdraw support for Ukraine, as well as Trump, whose national security strategy encourages parties like hers.”
Non-violent elsewhere
Turmoil and vandalism have become normalised in France, writes El País:
“The scenes of destruction in France have less to do with student demands than with a desire to lash out at the symbols of the Republic and destabilise a European democracy. ... The world has already grown accustomed to these images from France that would be unacceptable in any other democracy. We need only recall the protests over the housing crisis in Spain a few days ago to understand that it is possible to express discontent on the streets and demand social improvements without resorting to violence.”
Danger of a euro crisis
France's economic crisis is likely to worsen, Ilta-Sanomat fears:
“There is no solution in sight – and the protests show no sign of abating. At the same time, France's public finances are heading for disaster. Next year, public debt is set to rise to over 120 percent of GDP, and the budget deficit is at 5.4 percent. ... The danger of a euro crisis is obvious, and this would increase the impact of the French crisis on Finland. The economic crises in Greece and Italy were minor compared to what a crisis in Europe's second-largest economy could mean for the continent.”