The presence of Jordan Bardella, Marine Le Pen, Eric Zemmour and Marion Maréchal makes the majority uncomfortable.
The symbol is strong as more than a thousand anti-Semitic acts have been recorded since a month and the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel, twice as many as in all of last year. In a joint forum, Gérard Larcher, LR president of the Senate and Yaël Braun-Pivet, Renaissance president of the National Assembly, call for a civic march against anti-Semitism, Sunday November 12, from 3 p.m. between the Palais Bourbon, seat of the Assembly, and the Luxembourg Palace, seat of the Senate.
On paper, it is a “great initiative” For “bring the Nation together against the bearers of hatred”. It all starts Monday, November 6: Yaël Braun-Pivet invites Gérard Larcher to lunch, and they cheer, delighted, says a witness. The joint platform between the third and fourth figures of the State is a first.
The risk of participating in the “whitewashing of the anti-Semitic past” of the RN
Emmanuel Macron and Élisabeth Borne have been warned. The subject is discussed Tuesday morning during the majority breakfast. Everyone finds the idea very good, says the entourage of the President of the Assembly, including the unions and representatives of religions. Eric Ciotti, the boss of the Republicans, is enthusiastic. Renaissance, the presidential party relays the call.
Except that, suddenly, the majority is seized with doubt. As soon as the column was published, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella react: they will go. Just like Eric Zemmour and Marion Maréchal for Reconquête. In fact, Yaël Braun-Pivet and Gérard Larcher call in their text to scroll “beyond differences and divergences”. Stephane Sejourné, the boss of Renaissance, understands the trap: participating in what some call “whitewashing of anti-Semitic past” operated by the National Rally for a month. He calls on the organizers of the demonstration not to be “accomplices in the trivialization of a party founded by anti-Semites”.
Larcher and Braun-Pivet in front in sashes, the others behind in citizens
The organizers respond that there is no question of this event being stolen: Yaël Braun-Pivet and Gérard Larcher will walk in front in sashes. For the rest, the parade will be civic. There will be no speaking. Matignon neither confirms nor denies the presence of Élisabeth Borne. That of Emmanuel Macron seems even more uncertain. Moreover, the President, who had dinner with the leaders of his majority Tuesday evening, warned the President of the Assembly, says a participant. The presence of the Le Pen Marine will be difficult to manage. “All the cameras will be on them”sighs a Macronist figure.
On the left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon has already condemned the initiative. According to the Insoumis, “friends of unconditional support for the massacre have their meeting” Manuel Bompard, still for LFI, declared on franceinfo that he “would find it incongruous to participate in a demonstration of this nature in the presence of the RN”.
The Socialist Party, on the other hand, decided late Tuesday evening to participate, because Olivier Faure, the first secretary, had himself made this proposal, judging “that anti-Semitism, wherever it comes from, is the problem of the entire Republic”. “I will not march alongside” of the National Rally, reacts for his part the leader of the PCF, Fabien Roussel. “Maybe we’ll find somewhere else.” with the other left forces, he continues. Designed to bring the nation together, the march risks on the contrary showing all the fractures.