N°26 juillet-aout 2022 "Slap", "cuff", "humiliating defeat", "scathing dismissal"... On Monday morning, the French press did not have words strong enough, to qualify the setback suffered by the camp of President Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the legislative election
, "earthquake" can be read on the front page of Les Echos. Indeed, of the 48,589,606 registered, 20,747,470: 42.70% voted this Sunday, 4 out of 10 voters! Like in the 1st round the marked feature of this 2nd round of the legislative elections is abstention, nearly 54%! 26,125,084 plus 1,716,806 blanks votes and 3.53% null. In Seine-Saint-Denis one of the poorest departments in France, 61% abstention, and it exceeds 70% in some municipalities, only one voter in four went to the polls. A percentage that is also found in the overseas territories which record the lowest participation. Abstention exceeds 70% in Martinique, Guadeloupe and Guyana.
This massive abstention primarily concerns workers and young people (3 out of 4 abstained). They know that these elections cannot bring any change to their situation. They thus wanted to demonstrate their opposition to Emmanuel Macron and his government. This is a complete rebuff that strikes the presidential majority, a rejection of Macron's policy in the service of capital.
The overall results show a significant decline of the parties that support Macron and the decline of the Republicans is just the same, while the far-right National Rally (RN) is making significant progress:
*Ensemble! (Presidential majority) 8,002,419: 16.47% of registered voters; 245 seats.
*New popular ecological and social union 6,556,198: 13.49% of registered members; 131 seats.
*National Rally 3,589,465: 7.39% of registered voters; 89 seats.
*Republicans 1,447,838: 2.98% of registered voters; 61 seats.
Macron is now faced with the challenge of governing with a historically weak political base in the National Assembly, having obtained only a very relative majority, he lacks at least 44 seats. However the means exist for governing the country while continuing to reform and apply the MEDEF road-map with political and institutional maneuvers for the interests of multinationals and their servants.
* Ensemble (Presidential Majority), the Republicans, the RN, are all at the service of capital.
Marine le Pen for the RN declares: "We will embody a firm opposition, that is to say without collusion, but a responsible opposition, that is to say respectful of institutions and always constructive". Christian Jacob for LR promises a "determined but responsible" opposition... "We will be an opposition useful to the country".The Republicans are in a position to negotiate with Macron their vote for the anti-social measures sponsored by the MEDEF; and while the RN is in ambush and presents itself as the bearer of the deep discontent of a part of the population, which largely explains its success, it remains a fallback for the politics of capital.
*The NUPES which is progressing but less than it hoped, promises to change but refuses to fight capital. All the parties that make up the alliance subscribe to the logic of capitalism. “We discussed ecological issues, wages... to try to move the country forward. I don't know what he (Macron) will retain of it” said Olivier Faure (PS). The NUPES tries to make us believe that it’s all about parliament! They don't want to fight capitalism, to question the private ownership of the means of production... it is not their orientation, they are for the management of the capitalist system… Clémentine Autain (NUPES) thus challenged Aurore Bergé (Ensemble) to find out if “Macron will govern by relying on the right or on us?” She therefore finds it possible to be used as auxiliary support for Macron.
It is a new attempt to divert from the class struggle the waged workers, the people, who can no longer bear the consequences of the politics of capital.
We know Macron's road-map, it confirms that he is at the beck and call of the bosses. The Medef (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) and the employers' organizations set the road-map for the five-year term: a set of measures to liquidate social conquests, privatize public services, lower the price of labor power and increase capitalist profits. Macron announced the measures he was going to take for the next five-year term: new attacks on wages, pensions, on Social Security, unemployment insurance, health, RSA (welfare benefit), education, the public sector, freedoms …He wants to strengthen capitalist Europe, to set up an “integrated European defense”, to go to war everywhere for the interests of imperialists.
The proposals for a sprinkling of measures on the purchasing power will not change the daily difficulties of the population, nor will the establishment of a National Council for Refoundation.
All these Elysian maneuverings will not bring real solutions on wages and pensions, on employment, health etc… The interest of employees does not lie in the management of capital but in the fight against those who want to exploit them even more.
We will have to fight harder and harder to push back Macron and capital. Our party is developing a consistent political struggle against it. The only force that will prevent the escalation of the current policy is the power of the workers and the people. We tell them that they can count on us, we are present, against the policy of Macron and capital.
In the aftermath of these elections more than ever, the economic and social struggle, the political struggle against capital will be decisive. Together we are the only force that will defeat capital and all those who serve it. It is urgent to strengthen the construction of the power balance through strikes and demonstrations. The world of work, youth, the unemployed, retirees must fight back through mobilizations in the street and in companies against government policy.
In these elections where we had candidates our party is progressing. This indicates the existence in the country of a current that wants to fight for change. The Revolutionary Party Communistes is the party of those who want a change in politics and society. No compromise is possible with capital.
More than ever, the economic and social struggle, the political struggle against capital is decisive.
Come join this fight.