The French word Malaise, which means discomfort, sickness, anxiety, fits perfectly into its current political situation.
“The Step” addressed to Jean Francois BayarFrench Professor of Political Science at the Iheid (Institute of Higher Studies of International Relations) of Geneva, a high -level University Foundation, to detect the causes of France’s “political distress”.
Do you share the view that France has changed in the last decade, to the point where it is not recognized?
“It is clear the weakening of the political system and the fifth democracy, which is largely due to. The president has the style of Zeus, the leader of the gods in Greek mythology. His childish behavior as the president, the conscious of the destruction of the party system and his contempt for the institutions have caused great mobilizations – such as those of the yellow vests and the suburbs of the suburbs – and social tensions, as well as a general sense of alienation.
On the occasion of the latest developments, Macron has even been accused of denying democracy. Do you agree?
“Macron has been trapped in the denial of democracy as early as his first election to the presidential office in 2017. In addition, this refusal of democracy is accompanied by stubbornness. In 2022, when he was re -elected president but defeated in the parliamentary elections, instead of seeking to form a government coalition in cooperation with other parties, as in all European democracies, he insisted on governing a minority government he controlled.
In 2024 he took another irrational action: the dissolution of the National Assembly, without any reason. The result was that he had to accept the formation of a coalition government under much more adverse conditions than two years ago. And all this, having re -affected the spirit of democracy: he refused to appoint a prime minister coming from the left, which had secured the largest number of seats. “
Is it a kind of Macron’s blindness?
“Yes, which is not an exclusive characteristic of Macron but a widespread trait at the core of the political system. The far -left disobedient France represents the revolutionary, the ecologists take care of their home and the far -right national coalition rests on its inadequacy. “
No party in France wants to recognize reality?
“The neoliberal policy implemented by the socialist left and the so -called Republican Right since 1983 has led to absolute disaster. Public services have been dissolved. France is in a state of de -industrialization. Public finances are in red. Inequalities and poverty are exacerbated. The environmental crisis is silenced. And public opinion keeps the illusion that everything would go better without the immigrants. “
Where is this denial of reality?
“It is, above all, the work of an exhausted ruling class that has no response to the suppression of the problems she created. When deep -in -law, such as Bernard Arno, assimilate the Socialist tax -proposed Zikman in large property with deprivation of their personal property or when they assimilate the Socialist Party with the far -left, all they do is cause dangerously confusing public opinion.
