When Footballers Get Political
Today marks the official start of the election campaign in France. Many fear the rise of the far-right – others eagerly await it. Even football star Kylian Mbappé has entered the fray.
France’s football sensation Kylian Mbappé has now joined this frenzied short election campaign. During the opening press conference of his team in Düsseldorf for the European Championship, the captain of the “Bleues” cautioned with a solemn expression and passionate plea about the extremists at the precipice of power.
In this critical moment, he called on all compatriots, especially the youth, to go out and vote. “We must identify with our values, with social and cultural diversity, with tolerance and respect.” Looking ahead to the crucial second round on July 7, he added, “I hope that on July 7, we will all still be proud to be French.”
Even the spokesperson of the far-right Rassemblement National (RN), Laurent Jacobelli, welcomed Mbappé’s words, stating that his party couldn’t possibly be the “extremists” referred to by Mbappé. Jacobelli agreed, noting that there are people in the country who seek division. “Macron’s camp did just that. And now the new leftist alliance is aiming for division,” Jacobelli remarked on France Info.
The back-and-forth accusations were rebuffed by Manuel Bompard, a candidate of the leftist alliance Front Populaire, who promptly pointed fingers at President Emmanuel Macron’s camp, stating, “Macron’s pension reform did not unify the country.”
Premiering at the stakes will be three major blocs – left, right, center – working feverishly until Sunday night to position their factions with the best candidates for the first round on June 30. They must clear a 12.5% threshold. Only those surpassing this hurdle make it to the second and decisive round on July 7.
In the initial round, the RN is predicted to perform similarly well to the European elections, polling significantly above 30%. Following, the Front Populaire leftist alliance comprising LFI, socialists, greens, and communists would secure the second place.
The party of the incumbent president would fall into the third spot. The conservative Républicains are facing difficulties as their party leader Eric Ciotti announced an alliance with the RN without prior consultation, leading to internal upheaval.
To bolster moderate forces in each of the 577 constituencies, the Macron list won’t field candidates everywhere. If a conservative candidate stands a better chance, Ensemble pour la République refrains from fielding their own candidate.
Similarly, the right-wing Reconquête, while not forming an official alliance with the strong RN, opts not to compete against them in certain constituencies, hoping to bolster the extreme right.
Over the weekend, the Front Populaire leftist alliance presented its supporters with a dismal scene as experienced party veterans were denied official candidate status at the last moment. They were critics of the controversial figure behind the LFI Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
A glimmer of hope for some left-wing voters comes from the Socialist and former President Francois Hollande, who has entered the fray in his old constituency in Corrèze. Hollande discussed the exceptional circumstances calling for extraordinary decisions on Friday.
A key theme at the kickoff of the campaign is purchasing power. Premier Attal emphasized in an interview with RTL that with both extremes, there is a looming economic and employment catastrophe. “Both present multi-billion euro programs without funding,” he stated.
Nevertheless, the President’s party alliance, formerly announcing a rise in electricity prices and a €20 billion austerity plan, shifts its plans. It now promises a drop in energy prices and an increase in the tax-free worker bonus base. The RN, on the other hand, pledges to lower taxes on electricity and fuel. The leftist alliance promises to raise the net minimum wage by over €200 to €1,600 monthly. The fast-paced election battle is in full swing.