Legislative Elections: Let’s See Labor’s Fightback!

This is the June 6, 2022 Editorial of the Workplace Newsletters of L’étincelle, fraction of the NPA, translated from French.

Macron intends to take advantage of the legislative elections. He intends to carve out a majority of deputies in the Assembly who will serve as his minions, ready to vote for all the anti-worker laws. He did the same thing during the great debate (a conference launched in 2019 where he tried to stifle the Yellow Vests movement) while promising blood and tears: retirement at 65, and forced labor for the unemployed. There is no hope of blocking these dirty plans at the ballot box. The only opposition to Macron and his policies, in the service of the bosses, is to be found in the streets!

Macron 2: Class War and Big Talk

There is no need to review Macron’s record. His new Prime Minister also has an appalling record: this former CEO is responsible for the infamous reform of the unemployment insurance, which cuts off funds to those looking for work. These four iron hands pretend to slip into velvet gloves known as the “national council of refoundation,” a new version of the great debate or the citizens’ convention on climate — all of whose proposals had been watered down to please the industrialists! No doubt, these two will continue the war against the workers.

The bosses, on the other hand, do not care about something as small as elections. Whomever the Prime Minister, the plan is clear. Whether it is the environmental crisis, Covid, the war in Ukraine, it is always the working class, both of yesterday and today, that will pay the price for layoffs and inflation. This is why the profits of billionaires and corporations are soaring!

Le Pen and Zemmour: Racism in Service of the Bosses

Faced with rising inflation and the misery in public services, such as the collapsing hospitals, the extreme right denounces Macron’s intention to increase taxes! The right forgets to mention that taxes are constantly decreasing for corporations and the wealthy. The problem comes from frozen wages. But Marine Le Pen has repeated: she is opposed to raising the minimum wage. It is important not to force the bosses, so that they can continue to enjoy their huge profits! We are now back to the usual distractions: immigration, Islam…

The Left: Campaign Promises vs. Reality!

Jean-Luc Mélenchon (founder of La France Insoumise parliamentary group) promised a 6th French Republic (France forms a new republic when there is a change in the constitution) but he had to settle with the 5th Republic and Macron as Prime Minister, a position he himself would like to hold. Mélenchon’s presidential program, already fairly respectful of capitalist interests, has melted away, and this puts a spotlight on the Socialist and Green Parties.

Mélenchon’s few promises in favor of workers are enough to make Macron choke. Macron accuses the left of leading “disorder and submission.” The Devil. It is rather capitalism that leads the planet to the disorder of incessant crises and aims at the submission of the working world!

Mélenchon deliberately misleads the workers when he claims to be able to change things from the benches of the Assembly. It is still the boss of Medef, the largest employer federation in France, who explains it best: “the economy cannot be controlled from Matignon” (the official residence of the French Prime Minister). The 700,000 business leaders will simply say: “I will not renew fixed-term contracts, I will not rehire temporary workers.”

Let’s Take Back Control

The real power is in the hands of the capitalists. The only opposition to this power is that of workers in struggle. It is the response of the working world that it must be urgently prepared. We should expect nothing from the promises of Macron, Mélenchon, Le Pen and other pretenders in seats of parliament. The only perspective in the face of multiple crises, and the threat of war, is to rid the world of capitalism.

In this useless election, let’s make our mark at the ballot box to show our determination to fight on the only ground that counts: strikes and taking to the streets. Let’s vote for candidates of the revolutionary far left: the New Anticapitalist Party where they are running, and of course Lutte Ouvrière.

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