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Unions in France Split Over Whether to Back Emmanuel Macron Unions in France Split Over Whether to Back Emmanuel Macron
(about 4 hours later)
PARIS — France’s contentious presidential campaign entered its last week on Monday, coinciding with traditional May Day labor demonstrations around the country that reflected a split among unions over whether to endorse Emmanuel Macron, the centrist candidate, against Marine Le Pen, his far-right opponent. PARIS — France’s presidential campaign entered its last week on Monday, coinciding with May Day labor demonstrations around the country that reflected a split among unions over whether to endorse Emmanuel Macron, the centrist candidate, against Marine Le Pen, his far-right opponent.
Thousands demonstrated in Paris, Lille, Marseille and other cities at rallies organized by French labor unions, some of which have found themselves in something of a bind ahead of the vote in the second round of the presidential elections on Sunday. More than 140,000 people participated in rallies in Paris, Lille, Marseille and other cities — events organized by French labor unions, some of which have found themselves in a bind ahead of the vote in the second and final round of the presidential election on Sunday.
Although they have historically opposed Ms. Le Pen’s far-right National Front and have urged people to vote against her, several major labor unions also fought tooth and nail against the job market overhauls that Mr. Macron defended as economy minister and that he wants to expand if elected. Although they have historically opposed Ms. Le Pen’s far-right National Front and have urged members to vote against her, several major labor unions also fought the job market overhauls that Mr. Macron defended as economy minister and that he wants to expand if elected.
That has left unions split between those who have explicitly called for votes for Mr. Macron, and those who have called for votes against Ms. Le Pen but have not specifically endorsed her opponent. That has left unions split between those who have explicitly endorsed Mr. Macron, and those who have only called for votes against Ms. Le Pen.
In Paris on Monday, the two groups marched separately, in stark contrast to 2002, when the different labor unions united for large demonstrations against Ms. Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie, after he made it into the second round of the presidential elections against the center-right candidate Jacques Chirac. At a rally of his supporters in Paris on Monday, Mr. Macron reiterated his economic agenda and renewed calls for a “strong Europe.” But he said he would never “judge” a National Front voter, “because behind that vote there is always an anger, an outrage, a disappointment.”
Philippe Martinez, the head of the General Confederation of Labor, one of France’s biggest unions, said in an interview with the newspaper Le Parisien on Sunday that while his and other unions agreed on opposing the National Front, “we are not in 2002 anymore.” Though he condemned Ms. Le Pen for seeking to exploit voters’ anger, Mr. Macron seemed to play to the same deep anxieties on Monday when he told the BBC that if elected he would have “to listen to our people, and to listen to the fact that they are extremely angry today, impatient, and the dysfunction of the E.U. is no more sustainable.”
“We believe that everybody should learn the lessons of 2002, of the disappointments, of the unkept promises, of unemployment, of social distress, of austerity policies,” he said. “How is it that, 15 years later, we are in the same situation?” Mr. Macron said that he was “pro-European,” but that if elected he would “reform in-depth the European Union and our European project,” lest he “betray” the French people.
Mr. Martinez, who has called for votes against Ms. Le Pen but stopped short of endorsing Mr. Macron, reflected a view held by many on the French left who oppose the National Front but believe the economic policies defended by Mr. Macron — who favors free trade and wants to loosen labor regulations — have fueled the National Front’s success. “I don’t want to do so, because the day after, we will have a ‘Frexit,’” he said, referring to a French exit from the European Union, “or we will have the Front National again.”
Those voters, many of whom supported the hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the first round, do not want their votes for Mr. Macron to be construed as support for his platform. The latest polls have shown an increase in the number of voters who say they plan to abstain in the second round after voting for Mr. Mélenchon in the first. Many on the French left, including union advocates who oppose the National Front, say the economic policies defended by Mr. Macron — free trade and a desire to loosen labor regulations — have fueled the National Front’s success.
At the bigger demonstration in central Paris, which went from the Place de la République to the Place de la Nation, unions marched for workers’ rights and against Ms. Le Pen, without calling for support for Mr. Macron. Other demonstrators went even further, carrying banners and signs that read both “No to Macron” and “No to Le Pen.” Those voters, many of whom supported the hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the first round, do not want their votes for Mr. Macron to be construed as support for his platform. The latest polls have shown an increase in the number of voters who say they plan to abstain in the second round.
Some hooded protesters clashed with the police on the sidelines of the demonstrations, throwing rocks and firebombs at the officers, who responded with tear gas. Three riot police officers were wounded, the Paris police prefecture said. In Paris on Monday, the unions that supported Mr. Marcon and opposed Ms. Le Pen marched separately, in stark contrast to 2002, when the different labor unions united to oppose Ms. Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie, after he made it into the second round of the presidential elections.
Demonstrators at a smaller rally organized earlier on Monday in northeastern Paris by the more moderate labor unions, who have called for votes for Mr. Macron, said voters had to choose. Philippe Martinez, the head of the General Confederation of Labor, one of France’s biggest unions, told the newspaper Le Parisien on Sunday that while his and other unions agreed on opposing the National Front, “we are not in 2002 anymore.”
At the bigger demonstration on Monday in Paris, unions marched for workers’ rights and against Ms. Le Pen, without calling for support for Mr. Macron. Other demonstrators carried signs that read “No to Macron” and “No to Le Pen,” and some chanted “abolish the Macron law” or “abolish the labor law.”
Some hooded protesters clashed with the police on the sidelines of the demonstrations, throwing rocks and firebombs at the officers, who responded with tear gas. Five riot police officers were wounded in the clashes, the Paris police prefecture said.
Demonstrators at a smaller rally organized earlier on Monday in Paris by more moderate labor unions, who have endorsed Mr. Macron, said voters had to choose.
“Although we don’t support the politics of Macron, we advise our followers to vote for him, because we don’t want Le Pen,” said Olivier Belem, 56, a computer technician and union member. “The fact that the other unions don’t give voters clear advice will leave open the possibility of a blank vote and will help Le Pen in her chances of victory.”“Although we don’t support the politics of Macron, we advise our followers to vote for him, because we don’t want Le Pen,” said Olivier Belem, 56, a computer technician and union member. “The fact that the other unions don’t give voters clear advice will leave open the possibility of a blank vote and will help Le Pen in her chances of victory.”
Analysts predict that high abstention could help Ms. Le Pen, especially if left-wing voters reluctant to vote for Mr. Macron stay home on Election Day. The latest polls predict that Mr. Macron will beat Ms. Le Pen with roughly 60 percent of the vote in the second round. Analysts predict that abstentions could help Ms. Le Pen, especially if left-wing voters reluctant to vote for Mr. Macron stay home on Election Day. The latest polls suggest that Mr. Macron could beat Ms. Le Pen with roughly 60 percent of the vote in the second round.
Mr. Macron, who was scheduled to speak at a campaign rally in the north of the capital, did not attend the May Day demonstrations. On Monday, Mr. Macron also paid tribute to Brahim Bouarram, a 29-year-old man who was killed during a far-right demonstration in Paris on May 1, 1995, by skinheads who pushed him off a bridge and into the Seine. Mr. Bouarram’s son, who was 9 at the time of his father’s death, joined Mr. Macron as they laid flowers at a memorial plaque.
But he paid tribute to Brahim Bouarram, a 29-year-old man who was killed on the sidelines of a far-right demonstration in Paris on May 1, 1995, by skinheads who pushed him off a bridge and into the Seine. Mr. Macron was joined by Mr. Bouarram’s son, who was 9 at the time, as the candidate laid flowers at a plaque commemorating the killing on the Pont du Carrousel. It was the latest attempt by Mr. Macron to draw attention to the National Front’s anti-Semitic and racist roots, from which Ms. Le Pen has tried to distance herself.
It was the latest in a series of campaign stops and statements aimed at drawing attention to the National Front’s anti-Semitic and racist roots, from which Ms. Le Pen has tried to distance herself. Last Friday, Mr. Macron traveled to Oradour-sur-Glane, a village in central France where an SS division killed 642 people in 1944; and on Sunday, he visited the Shoah Memorial in Paris.
Last Friday, Mr. Macron traveled to Oradour-sur-Glane, a village in central France that an SS division set on fire in 1944, killing 642 people; and on Sunday, he visited the Shoah Memorial in Paris. The National Front’s unsavory past is embodied by Ms. Le Pen’s 88-year-old father and founder of the party, who on Monday addressed a couple of hundred supporters in Paris at a rally celebrating Joan of Arc.
The National Front’s unsavory past is embodied by Ms. Le Pen’s 88-year-old father and founder of the party, who on Monday addressed a couple of hundred supporters at a traditional rally celebrating Joan of Arc in the heart of Paris. Despite fears in Ms. Le Pen’s entourage that her father might make inflammatory remarks, Mr. Le Pen stuck to fairly routine anti-immigrant rhetoric and harsh criticism of Mr. Macron.
Despite fears in Ms. Le Pen’s entourage that her father might indulge in yet another streak of inflammatory remarks, of which he has a rich history, Mr. Le Pen stuck to drawing a bleak picture of a declining France, citing immigration as the main factor, and to harsh criticism of Mr. Macron. “He talks about the future, but he has no children; he talks about workers, but he’s a former banker at Rothschild; he wants to revitalize the economy, but he’s one of those who dynamited it,” Mr. Le Pen said.
“He talks about the future, but he has no children; he talks about workers, but he’s a former banker at Rothschild; he wants to revitalize the economy, but he’s one of those who dynamited it,” Mr. Le Pen said, calling Mr. Macron a “masked Socialist.” Ms. Le Pen, who announced last week that she would name a former right-wing rival prime minister if elected, said on Monday at a campaign rally near Paris that Mr. Macron was the candidate of “finance” and that he was an “adversary of the people.”
Ms. Le Pen, who announced last week that she would name a former right-wing rival prime minister if elected, said on Monday at a campaign rally in Villepinte, about 10 miles northeast of Paris, that Mr. Macron was the candidate of “finance” and that he was an “adversary of the people.” “I will be a president who protects,” Ms. Le Pen told her cheering supporters.
“I will be a president who protects,” Ms. Le Pen told her cheering supporters, adding that her opponent’s “philosophy” was “Onward or die,” a reference to En Marche, or Onward, the name of Mr. Macron’s political movement. Manon Bouquin, 24, a Le Pen supporter at the rally, said she believed Ms. Le Pen could win on Sunday.
Ms. Le Pen has campaigned on an anti-immigration and anti-European Union platform that has tapped into deep frustration about unemployment, especially among the working class. “Whatever the outcome, everything will have changed, and it was interesting to see people in the establishment of 40 years finally getting worried,” Ms. Bouquin said.
Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Mr. Macron said that he was “pro-European.” But he acknowledged that if elected he would need to “reform in depth the European Union and our European project,” lest he “betray” the French people. Ms. Le Pen has campaigned on an anti-elite, anti-immigration and anti-European Union platform that has tapped into deep frustration about unemployment, especially among the working class.
“I don’t want to do so, because the day after, we will have a ‘Frexit,’” he said, referring to a French exit from the European Union, “or we will have the National Front again.” Even some Macron supporters at his rally said that, though they believed in his ability to win, they worried about his ability to unite disenchanted voters beyond their rejection of the far right.
“There are a lot of people who think that it is mostly important to vote against Marine Le Pen,” said Elfayed Sagaf, 18, a student who was holding a banner supporting En Marche!, Mr. Macron’s movement. “I would have preferred more votes of support.”