Lise Couaillac of United Against Racism writes from France
My grandmother 94 years old, my dad 66, myself 33, we all agreed, it never happened before.
It doesn’t matter from which party you are, this election is nonstandard, and a very dangerous development!
The Front National (FN) has run for the presidency and reached the second round. It happened once before in 2002 but today the general atmosphere is totally different. In 2002, a massive protest against the rise of the FN went down into the street, people from all ages and all other political opinions. This time it was inadequate, small, almost not present.
This is more than scary.
Somehow, it means that the fascist FN has started to be acceptable and accepted. The only thing that comes to my mind is “what a shame”! I was proud for France to be described as the country of human rights and freedom, but today 34.5 % of the French population supported a fascist, racist, homophobic and Islamophobic candidate.
I am not surprised, just sad and speechless. Even if the left wing, “front de gauche” did its best score ever, I am worried, not really about this election , fortunately Marine Le Pen didn’t get the majority, but the next one in 5 years.
She is on her way to winning and then I may never be able to come back to my country.
I hope that now French anti-racists and the French people will organise a mass anti-fascist movement to make sure this doesn’t happen.
