Freedom Socialist • Vol. 28, No. 3 • June-July 2007Rightwing demagogue wins French presidencyAfter the May 6 election of rightwing populist Nicolas Sarkozy to the French presidency, protests and rioting quite naturally erupted. Most damage was to property and police. That night, 78 cops were injured, 730 cars torched, and 592 people arrested. Demonstrations, a little more destruction and lots of disgust continued for several days, while the victor rested aboard the luxury yacht of his friend, media billionaire Vincent Bollore. On the ground in France, however, Nicolas Sarkozy should be in for a bumpy ride. Life is not easy for French working people. As in other Western European nations, where workers built a relatively good standard of living during a post-World War II economic boom, hard-won gains are now being crushed under the boots of global neo–liberalism. In just the last five years, workers, students and pensioners have mounted some of the biggest demonstrations in the history of the country to protect decent jobs and schooling and retirement. Arab and African-French youths rose up against racist, anti-Muslim discrimination and immigrant bashing in December 2005. Sarkozy called them "scum" and "gangrene" which needed to be sandblasted away. Campaign lies aside, the new president is a bona fide representative of the ruling class. He favors restricting workers' right to strike, assaulting immigrant rights and lowering taxes for the rich. His demagogic campaign appealed to nationalist and racist sentiments among workers inclined to scapegoat immigrants for their economic woes. He is the most reactionary president of France since the fascist Vichy regime during World War II. The Socialist Party candidate, Ségolène Royal, had little different to offer except gender. In the televised debate between her and Sarkozy they both fanned racism to divide the working class over immigrant workers. They agreed that welfare dependents must take any job offered. Royal said nothing against Sarkozy's role in expanding police surveillance and arrest powers. Both evaded the subject of France's militaristic foreign policy. Alas, neither of France's supposedly Trotskyist groups, Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) and Workers Struggle (LO), offered an alternative. Both urged their supporters to vote for Royal "in order to stop Sarkozy." But counting on her to save France from the right wing is like betting on Hillary Clinton to stop the Iraq war and rescue abortion rights. What next? Hopefully, trouble for Sarkozy & Co. But French workers, like those in all the imperialist countries, must put the issues of workers of color and immigrants at the fore in order to develop an authentic revolutionary leadership and party. |
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