European Elections Update: La France Insoumise Meeting in Strasbourg

After a chaotic week of campaigning, the move to Strasbourg is like a lull. In a few days, La France Insoumise was canceled by the prefecture of its conference on Palestine in Lille, then the call for an “apology of terrorism” of its candidate Rima Hassan (7th position) and the president of the group at the National Assembly, Mathilde Panot. In contrast, the meeting held by the movement on Tuesday, April 23, seemed almost peaceful.

Rima Hassan and Mathilde Panot, omnipresent absent

With the exception of a few seats, the rebels filled one of the rooms at the Palais de la Musique et des Congrès, with a capacity of five hundred seats. From the introduction of the evening, the deputy leader for the 2nd Bas-Rhin constituency, Emmanuel Fernandes, returns to the context of the campaign, asking for support for Mathilde Panot and Rima Hassan. During the evening, the eight speakers will have their say.

Behind him, the mechanics of the meeting are well oiled. After this short introduction, followed by a video clip, the lectures continue until now Manon Aubry. The stage setting is still classic: in front of a series of green and purple neon lights, about ten speakers are arranged on the stage in an arc, behind the orator. Among them, several MEPs are waiting to take the podium. They will follow each other to present the results of the revolutionary France, about which the speakers will talk more than at previous meetings, in Montpellier or Roubaix.

European combat and victory

The first MEP on the podium, Leïla Chaibi (5th on the list) discusses the upcoming vote on a directive establishing a presumption of employment for workers on online platforms – such as Uber or Deliveroo. A circle of praise. After agreement by Member States on a draft directive on March 11, the text will be ratified by the European Parliament this Wednesday, April 24. “This is the last stage of the balance of power that lasted five years, against Macron and the lobbies”, asks the elected official, evoking her personal involvement. Delivery men committed to the text step up to join the elected official on stage.

After, the rebellious MEP Marina Mesure (3rd position) then outlines the fight that her group is waging against the deregulation of the electricity market: “You know who the only boss on the list was against him? Manon Abry. Mr. Glucksmann didn’t even bother to vote. (…) And what did Mr. Bardella do? I have made 200 changes to the electricity market, Mr. Bardella has not made one. » And the chosen one concludes: “Come and help, on June 9, the only group that defends regulated prices in the European Parliament! »

Marina Mesure will be an MEP in 2022, when Manuel Bompard will be elected to the National Assembly.

Afterwards, MEP Younous Omarjee (2nd position) is considering adopting a resolution in the European Parliament calling for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on January 18.

“It is an honor for Manon Aubry to have gone to the podium of the Parliament, to measure the words, to say what needs to be said, and to ask the European Parliament for a cease-fire​​​​ in Gaza . By submitting changes, we got it! »

Younous Omarjee (LFI), MEP

Opposite, the audience wakes up and cheers for the speaker, while Palestinian flags wave and mix with the terrorist pennants.

Elected since 2012, Younous Omarjee is the oldest MEP in the insurgent delegation.

In support, the MEPs Anabela Rodrigues and Malin Bjork, Portuguese and Swedish respectively, will come to speak. Other European parliamentarians, who are less fluent in French, are willing to remain observers.

Glucksmann hinted a lot

A new cut follows, the length of a campaign clip. Launched with generic techno music, Manon Aubry arrives on stage with enthusiasm. After also listing the battles fought by her party within the European hemicycle, the leader of the list returns to the legal position of the movement, due to its position on Palestine. “What’s next? The release of the French rebel? Is that what they want? Will they criminalize peace activists as they have done with environmental activists and trade unions? »

After being proud of belonging to a group “never say no to a free trade agreement”the applicant continues by addressing the “small adjustments” Brussels. “The truth is that the socialists, the right and the macronists rule together in the European Parliament. And they rule together for worse. They have just voted for a disastrous reform of the budget rules, which condemns us to austerity forever. » After the European Troika (a nickname dating back to the Greek crisis, referring to the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund), Manon Aubry warns to the audience: “We now have the Macron-Glucksmann-Bellamy troika! » The boos increase.

In 2019, Manon Aubry was already nominated to lead the French Insoumise list at the European elections.

“Demacronize” Europe

The candidate saves the second part of her speech to focus on Emmanuel Macron. “The Macronie movement is not only using repression in this campaign, but also the methods of the State. » The MEP mocks the support of the President of the Republic to the Renaissance candidate Valérie Hayer on X (ex-Twitter), or his way of joining the campaign, by sending a speech organized at the Sorbonne, Thursday 25 April. In her own way, the rebel sums up her European record:

“The successive austerity plans, the maintenance of glyphosate, the election of an anti-abortionist at the head of the European Parliament, gas and nuclear classified as green energy (…) Macron’s Europe keeps its all antisocial commitments from 2017, and none of his commitments. advanced ads. We must de-macronize Europe, stop Emmanuel Macron’s policy in Europe. »

Manon Aubry (LFI), MEP

After a final call for motion, the candidate concludes her speech with a Marseillaise assembly. Highly encouraged, Raphaël Glucksmann holds a meeting in Strasbourg the next day. And on Thursday April 25, the third meeting will be held around the head of the list of Ecologists, Marie Toussaint.