Before any normative judgment and any projection into the future, it is an observation that must be established, while the fate of our institutions, and especially that of the country, are at stake. We have said it several times, but it must be said again. The changes affecting the electorate are not superficial, they correspond to a mutation of our human geography. The best of our sociologists have established that “the old electoral register is completely reconfigured” (Jérôme Fourquet). The evolution of a region like Brittany towards voting for the National Rally constitutes the most current symptom of this change which has probably not produced all its effects.
Faced with such a massive reality, ideological glosses seem inappropriate, when they are not ridiculous. Establishing, for example, a relationship between Jordan Bardella’s electoral successes and the fascist phenomenon – when it is not the memory of Nazism – is a historical nonsense and manipulations that no longer impress the mass of voters. It is a question of understanding the reasons for membership that explain why the National Rally has taken the place of the former Communist Party in its tribunician function, that is to say, as the voice of the popular categories most on the margins of the economic processes of globalization. Furthermore, we cannot underestimate the impact of insecurity in the lost neighborhoods of the Republic (and even beyond). It is not just a feeling, as they say, but a reality that is often cruelly experienced.
And what about the migration issue? It is easy to stigmatize those who fear a great replacement, by blaming them for the “withdrawal into oneself and hatred of others”. The most common experience shows that immigration is accepted when it is reasonable and does not oppose necessary integration. Many newcomers are as attached to our national identity as the so-called native French. But it would be irresponsible to consider that Islam does not pose any problem of civilization. Pope Francis, although a fervent defender of exiles, has just expressed his profound sadness at the progressive disappearance of Eastern Christians.
A spirit of peace and harmony
Does this mean that the future of our country, remodeled in its human geography and its new political configuration, completely reassures us? Certainly not! The unknowns are still too significant. The risks of violent excesses cannot be ruled out; they are in fact desired and encouraged by some. Whatever the results that appear on the screens on Sunday, we are assured that we will remain in a climate of uncertainty for years to come, with a country that is deeply torn apart.
The task of Christians in such a situation cannot be reduced to mere affiliations and political militancy. It can consist of examples of civic wisdom, of deepening the challenges of the present. And finally, of bearing witness to a community that cultivates the spirit of peace and harmony, knowing how to distance itself from the threats of disintegration and discouragement.
