France’s Diplomacy Rebels Against the Far-Right

Fears about the possibility of the far right taking control of the reins of government in France did not stop at diaspora members, led by Algerians, as they are the most numerous.

Rather, their concerns extended to the cabinets and corridors of the French state, which is now threatened with fragmentation if Le Pen’s fascist party seizes power.

This fact was embodied in a petition signed by 170 French diplomats, reported by the newspaper “Le Monde”, warning in a strong tone of the dangers of the victory of the far right, represented by the “National Rally” party or (formerly the National Front) in the snap legislative elections on June 30, on the French state, which, in the opinion of the authors of this petition, has become a real challenge.

The latest opinion poll conducted by the newspaper “Le Parisien” in cooperation with Radio France gives the far-right party, allied with a faction of the “Republicans” LR party, a lead of 35.5% of voting intentions, over the left-wing coalition called the “New Popular Front”, which is expected to obtain 29.5% of the votes, then Macron’s presidential party “Ensemble” (Together) with 19.5% of the voting intentions.

Consolidating these results in the legislative elections, which are less than a week away, means that Marine Le Pen’s party, which is hostile to immigrants and the Muslim and Algerian communities in particular, will take control of the reins of government, and then lead the appointment of a far right-wing person to the portfolio of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is completely rejected by the signatories of the petition, who said that they served France in the most difficult circumstances, including the period that witnessed the “Covid-19” crisis, terrorism, and others. Still, they refuse to allow working under the pressure of the far right.

As stated in the petition of the 170 diplomats, “We cannot decide to allow the victory of the far right to weaken France and Europe.” Rather, they consider that such a possibility (a victory for the National Front party) may risk being interpreted by some as a “call for interference” and “aggression against Europe, including the military dimension”.

In anticipation of the dangers of the far right coming to power, the petition’s signatories stress the need for “the administration, after the legislative elections, to remain able to serve the nation and the citizens, without external interference and within the framework of strict respect for the rule of law, and without anyone being exposed to inconvenience because of the political convictions, or exposing others to discrimination on the grounds of their geographical or social origins,” and “the obligation of unlimited loyalty.”

The name of the MP from the right-wing party, Thierry Mariani, is being marketed in the European Parliament as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the expected far-right government. He is a tense figure charged with hostility to Muslim and immigrant communities in general, and he does not hesitate to reveal his intentions publicly, which increases the French fears about the harmony of their society, which consists of different ethnicities, all of which contributed to building and constructing modern France.

Will France, in the post-June 30 period, witness a massive transformation with the rise of the far right to power, which will hasten the fall of the Fifth Republic, whose foundations were established by General Charles de Gaulle, at the end of the 1950s, under the blows of the liberation revolution?

After figures from the diplomatic apparatus signed the petition, many observers also wondered about the future of the French state in light of the expected control of the far right over the reins of government in France. Will it witness a rebellion by some of its institutions against the rule of Marine Le Pen’s party, which is charged with hostile rhetoric, not only to immigrants but also to native French who do not share her extremist convictions, such as the left in its various groups, which faces on a daily racist and ideological attacks and an organized hate campaign, by new fascist figures?