In France, fear often crystallizes around immigration and foreigners. Since 2002 and the arrival of Jean-Marie Le Pen in the second round of the presidential election, the French political landscape has seen far-right ideas progress with each election.
Jean-Marie Le Pen’s party, now led by his daughter Marine Le Pen, has undertaken to modernize and demonize itself to better insert itself into the political landscape. The Le Pen clan operates as a successful family business, with Jordan Bardella, president of the RN, living with Marine Le Pen’s niece. Marion Maréchal Le Pen, granddaughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, has also made a name for herself by defending ideas that are sometimes even more extremist than her aunt.
Jordan Bardella, despite a limited academic background, has a good chance of becoming Prime Minister. Recently, he proposed preventing dual nationals from occupying sensitive positions in senior administration, a controversial measure which would be unconstitutional. This proposal implicitly targets people of Arab and African origin.
Immigrants play a crucial role in the functioning of the French economy. This observation raises a hypothetical question: what would happen if, after a historic victory for the far right, immigrants decided to strike for a week to protest against their long-time designated enemies?
Foreign workers play an essential role in many sectors. In Paris, for example, childcare is mainly provided by women of North African and African origin. These women also fill the shortage of daycare centers by caring for young children on a daily basis. In EHPADs, immigrants represent a significant proportion of the staff, and a strike during summer, which is often scorching, could have serious consequences.
Garbage collectors, mostly immigrants, are essential to keeping the streets clean. In the security sector, difficult and poorly paid positions are frequently filled by immigrants. Many large companies, particularly in retail, luxury goods, transportation, and the courts, rely heavily on this workforce. Restaurants, bars, and other entertainment venues, emblematic of French culture, could find themselves in difficulty if immigrant workers are mobilized.
However, the lack of political culture among immigrants constitutes an obstacle to the organization of protest movements. The current situation raises questions about tolerance and democracy. The choice to vote against those who would carry undemocratic and dangerous programs ultimately falls to French citizens.
