The national secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF) calls on the Insoumis Sophia Chikirou and Jean-Luc Mélenchon “for dialogue” and “for respectful debate”, after their attacks on social networks. He answers questions from franceinfo.
“In no way, in our country, should the political debate be lowered to this level, it is extremely dangerous”, says Fabien Roussel, Thursday September 21. Very affected by the attacks of Sophia Chikirou and Jean-Luc Mélenchon on their Facebook pages, the boss of the communists calls despite everything “at the gathering” For “may the left win and prevail”.
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The rebellious MP from Paris relayed on Wednesday on her Facebook page the publication of an activist account which believes that Roussel is aiming through her speech “the electorate of Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour”. Sophia Chikirou draws a parallel between the collaborationist Jacques Doriot and Fabien Roussel, writing: “There is Doriot in Roussel”. Jacques Doriot, excluded from the French Communist Party in 1936, founded the French Popular Party, openly fascist and collaborationist. The leader of LFI, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, himself took up this comparison by sharing it on his own Facebook page.
franceinfo: “There’s Doriot in Roussel”, how do you react to these comments?
Fabien Roussel: It’s serious, it’s a call to hatred. I ask them to consider the dangerousness of their words. In no way in our country should the political debate be lowered to this level, it is extremely dangerous. Then, I would simply like to call for dialogue, for respectful, calm debate, for the debate that we should have between all political leaders, but also even more between the forces of the left. We must have a minimum of respect between us. And to attack a leader of the PCF like that, knowing our commitment during the war, in the Resistance, against Nazism, is extremely serious, contemptuous, and it offends a lot of people at the communists and among many left-wing leaders.
Why is it dangerous?
It’s dangerous because it’s a call to violence, it’s a call to hatred. Comparing me to a Nazi is encouraging people with psychiatric problems to attack me in the street. The coming together, the union cannot happen when the insults are at this level. We cannot accept this.
Have we reached a point of no return after these insults?
On the contrary, I think that this is the opportunity for me, for us, perhaps for all the forces of the left and progress, to recall what the rules of union and unity are. And these rules are, first of all, respect each other, never insult each other. It’s respecting our differences. And these differences must be the subject of debates, debates with the French, debates between us, but never leave room for invective and insults, insults. I have high demands on union and coming together. And if union is a fight, well! This fight must be waged on ideas. This is what I am calling for today, that we ban insults, insults, slander and that, on the contrary, this gathering and this union can take place on the basis of respect and dialogue between us. , on strong subjects which concern our fellow citizens such as purchasing power and the cost of living, without undermining our integrity, without calling for hatred and violence. I call on all left-wing political leaders, forces of progress, to respect these rules and to ask that they be respected, not to accept these odious insults from Jean-Luc Mélenchon, from Sophia Chikirou. I want unity, I want unity so that the left wins and prevails.
They criticize you, with your proposals, for knocking on the doors of National Rally voters. What do you answer them?
They should, on the contrary, welcome the fact that we have set ourselves the objective of bringing down the National Front. That’s what I try to do and I do it based on ideas, content. This is where we must make the difference. And I will remind them that on the basis of ideas, on the program that we carry, that of “Happy Days”, we have never given in and we have always defended the values of the forces of the left and of progress. And that’s what must come first.