Raphaël Glucksmann, the lead candidate for the PS-Place publique party, is preparing to launch an “appeal of resistance” against the far right in Europe. The initiative, known as the “Call of Paris,” is supported by several European social democrats who are currently signing it. The goal of the appeal is to reinforce fundamental principles and make it clear that there will be no alliances or collusions with the extreme right. Glucksmann, who is currently third in the polls in France, will be joined by Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans at a press conference to present a strong socialist alternative to combat the rise of extremism.
Aurore Lalucq, an elected member of the European Parliament, criticized Valérie Hayer, the lead candidate of the ruling party in France, for not taking a strong stance against the liberal Dutch party that has aligned with the far-right PVV party in the Netherlands. Hayer, who is also the president of the centrist Renew group in the European Parliament, stated that the liberal Dutch party will not be allowed to remain in Renew after forming a government alliance with the extreme right. However, discussions within the group Renew are scheduled for June 10 following the elections, as per the group’s statutes.
Aurore Lalucq expressed frustration with the decision to wait until June 10 for discussions within the group Renew, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Frans Timmermans, a former vice-president of the European Commission and staunch opponent of government alliances with the far right, added his voice to the criticism of such alliances. Pierre Jouvet, the general secretary of the Socialist Party and a candidate on the list, joined in the condemnation, particularly in response to a scheduled debate between the French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and the lead candidate of the far-right Rassemblement national party, Jordan Bardela.
In response to the planned debate between Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Jordan Bardela, the socialists have officially petitioned the audiovisual regulator Arcom, arguing that the debate poses a “fundamental democratic problem” less than three weeks before the European elections. The party is taking a strong stand against any normalization or valorization of the far right, emphasizing the need to clearly and unwaveringly distance themselves from extremist ideologies. The push for resistance against the far right is a central theme in the campaign led by Raphaël Glucksmann and the PS-Place publique party, with a focus on building a strong socialist alternative in response to the growing tide of extremism in Europe.
