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One of the things I’m most worried about in France is the rise in friends on the Left saying they won’t vote for Macron vs Le Pen in a runoff but abstain. How can I persuade them when the Interior Minister is giving interviews to a far right magazine on the “challenge of Islam”?
How can I persuade them when the Interior Minister says this? “I understand very well that halal meat is sold in a supermarket, what I regret is the aisles. So you have the aisle for Muslims, the kosher aisle and then all the others. Why specific aisles?” https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.eu/article/gerald-darmanin-france-complaint-religious-food-aisles-sparks-criticism/amp/
How can I persuade them when this is happening? The French state is investigating — amidst the crisis of the pandemic — Muslim girls for skipping swimming lessons by falsely claiming “chlorine allergy”? https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/world/europe/macron-france-terrorism-darmanin.amp.html
How can I persuade them when the Interior Minister is publishing books like this on — “Islamic Separatism”? https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bfmtv.com/amp/politique/gerald-darmanin-publie-un-livre-sur-le-separatisme-islamiste_AD-202102010443.html
How can I persuade them when this same hardline Interior Minister is being investigated for rape? https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/17/france-appointed-minister-under-investigation-rape-women-are-pushing-back/%3FoutputType%3Damp
I want to persuade them. But with @libe to @lemondefr covering the scandalous Darmanin vs. Le Pen debate like this — the answer, I fear, is there are a lot of friends I no longer can. Many on the Left increasingly see France as having a “Le Pen-ised” Interior Minister.
. @AbelMestre of @lemondefr on the Interior Minister’s scandalous performance: “This debate is step of primary importance in the strategy of de-demonisation of Marine Le Pen. Mr Darmanin installed Marine Le Pen durably as the as the only alternative to Emanuel Macron.” https://twitter.com/abelmestre/status/1360255512990912512
A recent, hopefully rogue, poll unveiled by @LEXPRESS and @leParisien_pol put Macron only at 52% against 48% for Le Pen. Alienating, even insulting, the Left into not to turning out with an Interior Minister seen as Islamophobic is not a risk worth taking. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bfmtv.com/amp/politique/presidentielle-2022-un-sondage-donne-macron-et-le-pen-au-coude-a-coude-au-second-tour_AV-202101270527.html
A more recent poll in @figaro shows 70% “do not want” to see a Macron vs. le Pen second round in 2022. With so many unhappy, resentful voters, feeling compelled to vote Macron, alienating the Left with an incendiary Interior Minister is a strategic error. https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/les-francais-anticipent-un-duel-entre-macron-et-le-pen-en-2022-mais-ne-le-souhaitent-pas-20210209
Paris has made real strides on moving the EU from the austerity with the breakthrough on Eurozone debt. There is a case to be made for Macron as a great EU and foreign policy President. My fear is the Élysée is risking this by humiliating its Left voters. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/angela-merkel-macron-covid-coronavirus-eu-rescue-11595364124
This is why Interior Minister Gérard Darmanin is going to be a weather vane for Macron’s attitude to the Left: the more he leans into him the less he cares about their views and conversely should he be removed an effort will be underway to win them back. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/world/europe/macron-france-terrorism-darmanin.amp.html
With the Élysée making big errors handling the vaccine I’m not as confident in their strategic jugement as I was. Hence my plea: don’t make it impossible for me to persuade friends on the Left to vote Macron in a runoff due to what they see as a “Le Pen-ised” Interior Minister.
Left wing voters growing anger at Macron is not something that has got the attention it deserves amidst terror attacks, corona and high Le Pen polling. But my strong sense is it is being both underestimated by the Élysée and under-covered by the press. https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2020/02/11/a-ce-stade-du-quinquennat-macron-suscite-a-gauche-un-tel-rejet-que-le-vote-utile-en-sa-faveur-a-perdu-de-sa-force_6029199_3232.html
A lesson of old Labour voters during Brexit and Midwest Democrats in 2016 leaps out. Politicians shouldn’t ignore resentful traditional constituencies they have pre-tallied up when they are polling within the margin of error. Like Macron has been recently. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/eu-referendum-sunderland-result-vote-brexit-leave-live-latest-remain-a7098776.html%3Famp
How can I persuade friends on the Left to vote Macron in a runoff with Le Pen when the Interior Minister is publishing books like this on — “Islamist Separatism”? https://www.google.com/search?q=livre+darmanin&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS927US927&hl=en-GB&prmd=nisv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjnwaCf3-nuAhXBVDUKHQFnDH0Q_AUoAnoECAMQAg&biw=375&bih=640&dpr=3
