The critical moment of France

BarcelonaFrance woke up on Sunday in a state of shock after the riots caused a level of destruction not seen for many years in the country's main cities, starting with the capital, Paris. The Paris City Council has admitted that law enforcement forces were overwhelmed, on a day when between 550,000 and 800,000 protesters were counted across the country and there were about 2,000 arrests. The outburst of rage began to brew in the student protests a few weeks ago and has quickly spread to other layers of society, who see their standard of living getting lower and lower and, in parallel, public services becoming weaker. The result is the shocking images of this weekend, with a town hall in flames, that of Limoges, and looting of luxury shops in the heart of Paris in the face of police helplessness. A police force, by the way, that was also in the spotlight for the excessive use of force against students.

There is no doubt that France is going through a critical moment, but it is also true that it has been seeking what seems like the squaring of the circle for some time, which is to maintain its expensive welfare state while also investing in strategic sectors such as defense while lowering debt to meet European commitments. The political system, for its part, has settled into absolute instability, with governments that do not even last a year and budgets that are eternally stalled. And all this a few months before presidential elections in which Marine Le Pen's far-right is the favorite.

In defense of Macron, it must be said that the rise in inflation does not respond to internal French causes, but to external factors such as the wars in Ukraine and Iran, promoted by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, two leaders who would look favorably upon a French presidency in the hands of Le Pen. But there is no doubt that Emmanuel Macron, who arrived at the Elysée in 2017 with the promise of regenerating political life, reforming the French administration, and boosting the economy, has not achieved his goals. One of Macron's main reforms, which affected the heart of the French social pact, such as raising the retirement age, is today paralyzed and will be difficult to implement. From there, all attempts to lower the country's enormous debt have failed one after another.

The growing French unrest is the same that is crossing other European and Western societies and that has opened the doors to right-wing populism in places like Italy, Argentina, and the United States. In the French case, the discontent is especially significant among the youngest, who see how they will hardly be able to enjoy the standard of living of their parents. French politicians, and especially the supporters of the Republic, must reflect very seriously on where they have led their constant battles and what is the danger they face from now on. Either they are capable of articulating a minimum program, speaking clearly to the population about the sacrifices that will be needed, or they will all be swept away and the foundations of the Republic will shake.