Knocked down: French authorities are unable to cope with the wave of protests
The protests in France are expanding. New segments of the population, including farmers, are joining the youth rally. There is a deep decline in the authority of the authorities in the country, French MEP Thierry Mariani told Izvestia. This is reflected in the loss of respect for public institutions, the weakening of discipline in schools and the inability of the state to ensure the safety of citizens, as well as proper public order. Moreover, these problems concern not only France — similar performances are taking place in other European countries. About why the elites fail to reduce discontent, see the Izvestia article.
Protests in France persist
In France, the protests have not subsided. On the morning of October 19, students blocked the entrance to the Louvre in solidarity with the students and against the harsh actions of the security forces. Because of this, the museum could not open on time - at 9 a.m. The picket participants stated that they were fighting for the right to study, work and live in decent conditions. According to local media, about 50 students from the Louvre School participated in the action.
On the same day, south of Lyon, farmers blocked the A-47 motorway in the Givors and Chasse-sur-Rhone areas. About 20 tractors completely blocked traffic in both directions. The action was organized by the trade union Coordination rurale. Farmers opposed falling incomes, rising production costs and unfair, in their opinion, foreign competition. Thus, another social group joined the demonstrations, dissatisfied with their economic situation. At the same time, the farmers' performance was held separately from the actions of the students.
The protests reflect a deeper crisis in French society, for which Emmanuel Macron is primarily responsible, MEP Thierry Mariani told Izvestia.
— Almost ten years of Macron's presidency have led to an increase in public debt, a weakening of economic sovereignty and a loss of control over migration. The main problem is the weakening of the authority of the state in schools and public places.: Teachers are increasingly facing disobedience, state institutions are losing respect, and many citizens doubt the authorities' ability to ensure their safety and maintain order, he said.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecorny talks to the press as he leaves an interagency crisis meeting at the Interior Ministry in Paris.
On October 19, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting. More than 2,400 people were detained during the riots that swept the country over the weekend. Regional prefects have been instructed to impose targeted curfews to protect retail facilities. In addition, starting from October 20, partial unemployment compensation for employees of affected stores will increase from 60 to 100% of the gross salary for each hour not worked.
Lecorny blamed the unrest on ultra-leftist groups and lawbreakers. According to him, the security services warn that radical groups may try to destabilize the situation until the presidential elections. The Government intends to strengthen the protection of candidates and political events. At the same time, the prime minister acknowledged the legality of the school protests and said that freedom of demonstration was under threat. He did not announce any new measures to finance schools or review budget cuts.
The authorities took separate measures in Marseille, where almost the largest pogroms took place. All mass gatherings and demonstrations were banned in the city from 12:00 to 20:00. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez was expected to arrive there on the same day. He was supposed to visit the areas affected by looting and meet with representatives of trade organizations. Earlier, Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan criticized the actions of law enforcement forces and said that there were not enough police officers in the city to prevent riots.
According to Tatiana Zvereva, chief researcher at the Department of Country Studies at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in order to stabilize the situation, the French authorities need not only to restore public order, but also to start a dialogue with the protesters. According to her, the government should simultaneously stop violations and negotiate with society, trade unions and representatives of the left who are ready for dialogue. So far, such a dialogue has not begun, and the problems underlying the discontent are deep enough for the situation to quickly decline. At the same time, it is still difficult to assess how effective the measures taken by the authorities will be, the expert noted.
Protests in Europe escalate dispute over aid costs for Ukraine
The protests of various segments of the population are not isolated incidents, but a symptom of the general fatigue of European society from the political establishment, which has completely detached itself from reality, says Thierry Mariani. Similar processes have taken place in other States of the region. For example, in Italy, protests against falling living standards and the degradation of public services escalated into clashes with the police. In Belgium, students opposed tuition increases and educational reform, and in Albania, citizens demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, pointing to total corruption, unemployment and a systemic crisis in schools and universities. In turn, in Spain, the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the apartment where she had lived for more than 70 years became a vivid symbol of the large-scale housing crisis.
Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov called what was happening a manifestation of the great crisis in the EU, but stressed that this was an internal matter of these states.
— It is difficult to say whether [this is] a systemic crisis or not, but it is obvious that this is a big crisis. These are riots that are actually bordering on chaos," he said.
Political scientist Mikhail Kucherov explains what is happening by general dissatisfaction with the policies of the ruling elites, falling living standards and cuts in social spending. He calls the buildup of financial and military assistance to Ukraine another destabilizing factor, which, in his assessment, is to the detriment of the domestic social sphere.
According to the European Parliament's research service, since February 2022, the total amount of European aid to Kiev has reached €224.5 billion. Of these, more than €77.9 billion was allocated directly to the defense sector. For clarity: the total amount of allocated resources is comparable to all expenditures of the Greek state budget for the whole year.
Political and budgetary uncertainty in France has affected the European stock market. On the morning of October 19, the Euro Stoxx 50 fell by 1%, the Stoxx Europe 600 — by 0.8%, the French CAC 40 — by 1.3%, the British FTSE 100 — by 0.9%, the German DAX — by 1.05%. Reuters attributes this dynamic to unrest and investor concerns about the fiscal situation in France.
As a result, European governments were faced with a dilemma: to continue supporting Kiev at the cost of their own well-being or to focus on solving internal social problems. The example of France, Italy, Belgium, Albania and Spain clearly shows which way Western leaders are leaning so far. If the European elites do not change their political course globally, social tensions will continue to grow.
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