The critical moment of France

BarcelonaFrance woke up on Sunday in a state of shock after the riots caused a degree of destruction not seen for many years in the country's main cities, starting with the capital, Paris. The Parisian City Council has admitted that law enforcement was 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 during student protests a few weeks ago and has quickly spread to other layers of society, who see their standard of living becoming 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 the 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 experiencing a critical moment, but it is also true that it has long been seeking what seems to be the squaring of the circle, which is to maintain its costly welfare state while also investing in strategic sectors such as defense while lowering debt to comply with 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 deadlocked. And all this a few months before presidential elections in which the far-right of Marine Le Pen 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 on a French presidency in the hands of Le Pen. But there is no doubt that Emmanuel Macron, who arrived at the Élysée 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 currently paralyzed and will be difficult to implement. From here on, all attempts to lower the country's enormous debt have failed one after the other.

The growing French unrest is the same as that experienced by other European and Western societies and which 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 that 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 totter.