A controversial report written by the parliamentary group La France insoumise-Nouveau Front Populaire (LFI-NFP) accuses President Emmanuel Macron of worrying authoritarian tendencies since the start of his mandate under the Fifth Republic.
This document, from the left-wing opposition, severely criticizes the president’s policies since 2017. It highlights an excessive concentration of power within the executive, denouncing the adoption of 24 laws restricting fundamental freedoms. Among them, the so-called “separatism” law is accused of stigmatizing associations, particularly religious ones, by imposing a strict “republican engagement contract”.
The report also denounces measures such as the “comprehensive security” law and the use of algorithmic video surveillance, seeing there a significant risk of mass surveillance.
Concerning the use of article 49.3 of the Constitution, the LFI-NFP text criticizes its systematic use to circumvent Parliament, as in the case of pension reform. This process is described as a “democratic coup”, used despite significant public opposition.
The report points to a repression deemed disproportionate of social movements, evoking the police violence observed during the Yellow Vest demonstrations and against pension reform. The repressive practices of the police, in particular those of the BRAV-M, are strongly criticized.
An entire chapter is devoted to the organization of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, seen as a life-size test for mass surveillance. The use of technologies like drones and smart cameras is presented not as temporary, but as possible permanence in the general security system.
The report also examines the early legislative elections of June 2024, called after the dissolution of the National Assembly by Macron, which was allegedly aimed at a “political coup”. Although these elections saw the victory of the New Popular Front, Macron would have refused to appoint a Prime Minister from the majority group, thus breaking with traditional democratic principles, according to the text.
The opposition also criticized the continued governance of the resigned government during this transition period, marked by the publication of numerous decrees and orders beyond reason.
Faced with what they call a “presidential monarchy”, LFI-NFP calls for radical reform of institutions to strengthen popular sovereignty. This initiative includes the convening of a Constituent Assembly to draft a new Constitution limiting presidential powers.
The report, although critical, is also intended to be an expression of the determined opposition of the left, with the reactions of the government and President Emmanuel Macron not yet revealed.
