French Politics Thread I: Borne to be wild

[Kilobugya]

France to declare agricultural disaster over spring frost

My niece and nephew were all excited by "we have snow for Easter !" but yeah in reality it's a disaster for agriculture. Some people will use that to claim that "global warming is a hoax" but they don't realize that human-provoked climate change will actually make those kind of extreme, "abnormal" weather much more frequent. And with the Gulf Stream being disrupted we likely will have much colder winters and much warmer summers.

[Kilobugya]

You need to speak French but I found out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAzO4IFa3hE and it's such a good and hilarious summary of year 2020 in France, as a parody of Renaud's famous song "Hexagone".

[Kowani]

You need to speak French but I found out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAzO4IFa3hE and it's such a good and hilarious summary of year 2020 in France, as a parody of Renaud's famous song "Hexagone".

while i think i missed many of the references, that joke about how police brutality clearly didn't exist made me chuckle

[SD_Film Artists]

"Law on Republican Values"

Headscarfs are getting banned, meanwhile I'm walking around being a monarchist doing monarchism things monarchistically like a latter-day Scarlet Pimpernel.

[Kilobugya]

So some news on the Covid situation... we are still at a very high level (around 28 000 new cases per day, peak was at 40 000, official target is.... 5 000) of new cases, hospitals are full nationwide at 110% (with some areas in which it's much higher, and with most of non-Covid surgeries, including serious stuff like cancer or heart surgery being de-programmed) and we have our regular 300 deaths a day (two planes crashing a day, a 9/11 every 10 days).

But Macron re-opened primary schools last Monday, will reopen high schools next Monday, and gave a fully detailed calendar all over May and June for a re-opening, with dates on which restaurants or museum will reopen and at which conditions.

It seems to me both utterly reckless to re-open while the situation is still catastrophically bad, at a much higher level than all the previous re-opening, and with more dangerous variants (UK one being our main variant now, but South Africa and Brazil/Bolsonaro one slowly growing, and India one detected), especially since nothing was done (again, since more than one year) to mitigate the risk of contamination in closed spaces (schools, public transports, work places), even very simple things such as CO2 detectors to know when rooms are not ventilated enough.

And it seems completely unrealistic to have a detailed planning two months ahead with which precise dates of what will re-open when the situation is so precarious and things can easily go very wrong in the next few weeks.

On the vaccine front, the public that can get vaccinated is still very limited (elderly, people with comorbidity and a few essential workers, but that doesn't even include teachers). But since there are many anti-vaxxers in France (thanks Macron for being so incompetent, arrogant and lying that no one trusts you) it seems that most of those who do want a shot among those categories already got one, so vaccines stay in the freezers while people like me who just wait to get their shot aren't allowed to.

[Senkaku]

https://www.valeursactuelles.com/politi ... triotisme/ <<< I have no way to gauge whether this post is just Anglo journalists on the other side of the pond making a mountain out of a molehill so they can submit a piece for a deadline, or whether it's actually penetrating mainstream coverage and is an object of concern in France? I didn't see any posts here about it and it's been a couple weeks, which would lead me to think it's the former (no one really takes this seriously, it's just some has-beens grandstanding/LARPing), but given that it's also... you know... people who seem at least plausibly connected to the top military brass basically saying "it'd be a shame if something were to happen to that democracy you've got there, better be careful with it," it seemed sort of serious? Can any resident Actual French people clarify the national reception of this (if it even made enough of a splash to have one)?

(basically, does the French public view this as sort of an analog to Mattis, Gates, Panetta, and a bunch of former heads of the joint chiefs writing such a statement, or the equivalent of like, Michael Flynn and some random ex-colonels in the air force reserve doing it)

[Kilobugya]

https://www.valeursactuelles.com/politique/pour-un-retour-de-lhonneur-de-nos-gouvernants-20-generaux-appellent-macron-a-defendre-le-patriotisme/ <<< I have no way to gauge whether this post is just Anglo journalists on the other side of the pond making a mountain out of a molehill so they can submit a piece for a deadline, or whether it's actually penetrating mainstream coverage and is an object of concern in France? I didn't see any posts here about it and it's been a couple weeks, which would lead me to think it's the former (no one really takes this seriously, it's just some has-beens grandstanding/LARPing), but given that it's also... you know... people who seem at least plausibly connected to the top military brass basically saying "it'd be a shame if something were to happen to that democracy you've got there, better be careful with it," it seemed sort of serious? Can any resident Actual French people clarify the national reception of this (if it even made enough of a splash to have one)?

(basically, does the French public view this as sort of an analog to Mattis, Gates, Panetta, and a bunch of former heads of the joint chiefs writing such a statement, or the equivalent of like, Michael Flynn and some random ex-colonels in the air force reserve doing it)

Well, it's a delicate topic. The army and the police here have been rooting for the extreme right since a looooong time, that's nothing new in itself. That they make it public like that is new, and even if it's retired officers (not active ones) who said it, it's still alarming.

As for the public reaction, I would take such polls with a huge grain of salt. There has a been a mass media fearmongering campaign running those last few months, about Islam, immigrants, terrorism, crime, ...mostly as an attempt to shift topic from the catastrophic handling of Covid by Macron and by the also catastrophic economical and social situation, but also because we're getting closer to presidential election. In this context, you can find a majority saying "yeah the military wanting more law and order is fine", but I don't think they mean they really want a coup or a civil war.

[Ayytaly]

Why does France still have colonies in America?

[Kilobugya]

Why does France still have colonies in America?

Complicated historical reasons.

But the majority of people living there want to remain French. I admit it's somewhat problematic, especially since they are not very well treated, but I don't have a magical solution either, kicking them out of France when the majority wants to remain French is not a solution either (which makes it very different from Algeria or Vietnam situations).

[Madrinpoor]

I feel like I should change the poll

[Ayytaly]

Why does France still have colonies in America?

Complicated historical reasons.

But the majority of people living there want to remain French. I admit it's somewhat problematic, especially since they are not very well treated, but I don't have a magical solution either, kicking them out of France when the majority wants to remain French is not a solution either (which makes it very different from Algeria or Vietnam situations).

I thought France was anti-imperialist now.

[Kilobugya]

I feel like I should change the poll

Currently I foresee a narrow victory of Macron in the second round against Le Pen, but it'll be much smaller than last time.

Of course one year is a very long time, especially those days. Macron just did another one of his insane gambles with our lives, by reopening while the ICU are still saturated and the case rate is still very high, if we end up with a forth wave, it might be the end of him.

[Kilobugya]

Complicated historical reasons.

But the majority of people living there want to remain French. I admit it's somewhat problematic, especially since they are not very well treated, but I don't have a magical solution either, kicking them out of France when the majority wants to remain French is not a solution either (which makes it very different from Algeria or Vietnam situations).

I thought France was anti-imperialist now.

What ? Sadly, not even near. Françafrique (French support, including military support, for various "friendly" dictatorships in Africa) is still raging on

[Kowani]

France grants citizenship to over 2,000 foreign workers for their part in the Covid-19 response

France has granted citizenship to over 2,000 foreign-born frontline workers to reward them for their services to the nation during the coronavirus pandemic, the government said Wednesday. Marlene Schiappa, junior interior minister in charge of citizenship, said that 2,009 people, including 665 minors, had been fast-tracked for naturalisation for "showing their attachment to the nation".

Schiappa had instructed the authorities in September to speed up the citizenship applications of essential workers who had "actively contributed" to the fight against Covid-19.

She had ordered that they be allowed to apply for citizenship after just two years in France, instead of the usual requirement of five years.

Those involved include health workers, security guards, checkout workers, garbage collectors, home-care providers and nannies. Over 8,000 people have applied for citizenship under the scheme, Schiappa's office said, adding that all requests were being given "the greatest consideration".

[Madrinpoor]

French Military Announces Opposition to Islam and Threatens Coup

It warns French President Emmanuel Macron, his government, and MPs of "several deadly dangers" threatening France, including "Islamism and the hordes of the banlieue" - the impoverished immigrant suburbs that surround French cities.

The signatories go on to blame "a certain anti-racism" for splitting up communities, and seeking to create "racial war" by attacking statues and other aspects of French history.

They also accuse the government of seeking to use the police "as proxy agents and scapegoats" by brutally repressing the popular "gilets jaunes", or yellow vest protests of recent years.

"It is no longer the time to procrastinate, otherwise tomorrow civil war will put an end to this growing chaos and deaths - for which you will be responsible - with numbers in the thousands," the letter concludes.

[Kilobugya]

France grants citizenship to over 2,000 foreign workers for their part in the Covid-19 response

That's good - but the "frontline workers" would also like decent pay and working conditions, and Macron won't move a finger for that. But well, that's at least something.

[Kilobugya]

French Military Announces Opposition to Islam and Threatens Coup

That's old news and the title is a bit misleading, it's mostly retired officers not active ones who did it. But it's still very worrisome, the military being far-right is not new, they openly saying it is.

[The Yellow Emperor]

One. Military coup won't happen.

Two. They're exaggerated rumors, and most likely face forced retirements, hence it's all noise.

Three. French troops set to avoid trial over Rwanda massacre

I think we should focus on the third dot point.

[Kilobugya]

One. Military coup won't happen.

Coup won't happen. Slow but steady erosion of freedom and increase of police violence is already going on and will likely accelerate.

Two. They're exaggerated rumors, and most likely face forced retirements, hence it's all noise.

Well, it's noise, but noise that is symptomatic of something really problematic. It's like when your fridge starts making lots of noise, usually it means something is not working well in it.

Three. French troops set to avoid trial over Rwanda massacre

I think we should focus on the third dot point.

Imperialist armies nearly always escape consequences for their crime.

[Risottia]

Why does France still have colonies in America?

They aren't colonies.
The residents of St.Pierre et Miquelon and of Guyane are full-fledged French citizens voting for the French President and the French Parliament, while electing their own local administration.

[Kilobugya]

Why does France still have colonies in America?

They aren't colonies.
The residents of St.Pierre et Miquelon and of Guyane are full-fledged French citizens voting for the French President and the French Parliament, while electing their own local administration.

Legally and politically the overseas are no longer colonies and have full rights. Economically, the situation is very different, they are highly underdeveloped, very dependent from the mainland, and in about all aspects they operate in subpar conditions. Like for example Guyane has between 2x and 3x less doctors per inhabitant than the mainland (which itself is already not having enough).

[Risottia]

They aren't colonies.
The residents of St.Pierre et Miquelon and of Guyane are full-fledged French citizens voting for the French President and the French Parliament, while electing their own local administration.

Legally and politically the overseas are no longer colonies and have full rights. Economically, the situation is very different, they are highly underdeveloped, very dependent from the mainland, and in about all aspects they operate in subpar conditions. Like for example Guyane has between 2x and 3x less doctors per inhabitant than the mainland (which itself is already not having enough).

"Poor" doesn't mean "colony".

[Kilobugya]

So another Macron's fiasco that wasn't (AFAIK) evoked here : soon after he was elected, Macron called for a "convention citoyenne" on climate change. 150 French citizen were randomly selected, and worked together, interrogating experts and scientists, for about 6 months, before putting forward 149 propositions of various kind to address the issue.

Macron did a huge celebration lap, and claimed he would take all the proposals, except a "few vetos".

One year later, the law supposed to implement those proposals was voted. On the 149 proposals, 15 were accepted, 79 rejected and 55 highly modified. A few vetos, suuuure.

As always, Macron just pretends to listen to citizens, NGOs and to be concerned by environmental issues, while in the way he acts, it's business as usual, big corporations having the final say on about everything.

[Bear Stearns]

Why does France still have colonies in America?

St. Pierre e Miquelon is a brutal oppressive colonial slave state

[The Blaatschapen]

Why does France still have colonies in America?

St. Pierre e Miquelon is a brutal oppressive colonial slave state

Just trade it for the channel islands.