“The CGT is not calling for a vote for a candidate” but “to block the road to the extreme right”, explains Sophie Binet

“The CGT is not calling for a vote for one candidate or another” in the European elections but “to block the way of the extreme right because we consider that there is no greater danger for workers”, explains Sunday June 2 on franceinfo and France Inter, the general secretary of the union, Sophie Binet. While the National Rally is very high in the polls on voting intentions for the June 9 election, Sophie Binet “learns three lessons”.

The first one, “It’s a huge failure for Europe to see that the extreme right is at the gates of power everywhere” because the European Union “was built after the war so that war would never happen again and fascists would never again come to power”. According to her, “this must raise questions about the neoliberal policies put in place and about this social Europe which has never seen the light of day and this Europe of capital which is indeed present”.

The second lesson, “the extreme right is strong because the red carpet is rolled out for it and because many political forces take up these ideas and trivialize them.” Sophie Binet aims “notably Emmanuel Macron and his Asylum and Immigration law”.

The third lesson aims “the left-wing forces which normally should embody the alternative”. They are “too divided” And “have been discredited, notably by the five-year term of François Hollande”. The general secretary of the CGT ensures that the union “is not in any camp”neither in that of La France insoumise, nor in that of the PS-Place publique list led by Raphaël Glucksmann.

Sophie Binet reiterates that “It is very important to vote on June 9 because what is happening in Strasbourg and Brussels has an impact on our daily work.” For example, she continues, “we fought with the European unions to win a directive on platform workers to allow delivery men by bicycle and a presumption of employment. We opposed Emmanuel Macron who until the end tried to prevent this directive”.

The general secretary of the CGT insists: “Each time it was necessary to fight, the National Rally MEPs, either they had a swimming pool and obviously they really like swimming, or they voted against the improvement of rights”.