Jean-Luc Mélenchon, spokesperson of the France Unbowed movement, who came fourth in the first round of the French presidential election, issued this statement on May 7 after the victory of Emmanuel Macron in the second round. Translated by Dick Nichols.
This evening brings to a close the Fifth Republic’s most pathetic presidency, which would have destroyed practically all confidence in itself.
Yet, once again, in spite of everything, through abstention, the informal vote and that for Mr. Macron, our country has massively rejected the extreme right as alien to the Republican identity of France. In this second round Mrs Le Pen comes in third, behind Mr Macron, abstention and the informal vote.
The new president has been elected. Courtesy and love for our democracy require that we take note of that unbegrudgingly and that we express to him our best wishes. May the sense of our homeland’s destiny be with you, Mr President. And may the thought of the impoverished, of those without rights, shelter or work obsess you. May France be better off on that score.
But here it is more useful to look to ourselves.
The program of the new presidential monarch is well known: it is war on the country’s social gains and irresponsibility towards the environment. But here we are not doomed.
The legislative elections must show that after a vote of rejection and fear the time has come for a positive choice: the choice of The Future Together [France Unbowed’s electoral platform]. I call on the 7 million people who have come together around the program of which I was the candidate to mobilise and to remain united, whether or not they voted for Mr. Macron. I call on all those who are ready to break with the past to join France Unbowed, which we have made the leading new mass movement in so many towns in our country.
Come together, people. Without spreading yourselves too thin, because you saw how you were eliminated from this second round by around 600,000 votes. Come together if you recognise yourself in the ecological and social humanism that is the need of our time and of which I have striven to be spokesperson.
People, don’t give way! Don’t yield on anything! This country and the ordinary people who inhabit it are not doomed to obey the power either of the rich or of those who are full of hate.
A new parliamentary majority can be built around us. The taste of joy is catching. At our call, on June 18, in the second round of the legislative elections, our resistance can win the fight. And I am going to be there alongside you with all my energy.
Long live the Republic!
Long live France!
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2 Comments
My sense is that what the US needs is for the left to eschew, totally, the Democrat party. The French had a choice. They didn’t take it, but they could have and might still do. Americans don’t have a choice, they have a duopoly – and when a choice does raise its ugly head, the US left denounce it as a spoiler. The US left needs spoilers – who else can make great statements?
What a great statement. A true act of leadership. If only we had some of that on the left here.
Also, before Melenchon’s fourth-place first round finish is laughed off that he only trailed Macron by 4.5 points, Le Pen by 1.75 and was virtually tied with Fillon.
This uncompromised call for the people of France to remain unbowed bodes well for the June Parliamentary elections.
Elections are part of movement-building and not ends.