- Title: Voters in Paris suburb say they fear possible victory of far-right
- Date: 3rd July 2024
- Summary: GOUSSAINVILLE, FRANCE (JULY 3, 2024) (REUTERS) MEMBERS OF FAR-LEFT FRANCE UNBOWED PARTY (LFI), PART OF COALITION OF LEFT THE NEW POPULAR FRONT (NFP), SEBASTIEN DELOGU AND ARNAUD LEGALL, SPEAKING TO LOCAL RESIDENTS LE GALL SPEAKING TO RESIDENTS LOCAL RESIDENTS SPEAKING TOGETHER VARIOUS OF CAMPAIGN STAND FOR NEW POPULAR FRONT FLYER FOR LE GALL (SOUNDBITE) (French) MEMBER OF FAR-LEFT FRANCE UNBOWED PARTY (LFI), ITSELF MEMBER OF THE COALITION OF THE LEFT NEW POPULAR FRONT, ARNAUD LE GALL, SAYING: "We're in the largest town of a constituency which symbolises very well the state of politics in France right now, because we have a confrontation between us, the New Popular Front with 40 percent of the votes in the first round, and the far-right with 30 percent, other groups being far behind. And so this is a good symbol of two completely opposed visions of France which the French people are being offered in these legislative elections." CAMPAIGNERS ARRANGING STAND WITH POSTERS SHOWING LE GALL AND LFI FOUNDER, JEAN-LUC MELENCHON GIRL ON GROUND BEHIND CAMPAIGN POSTER SHOWING MELENCHON VARIOUS OF CAMPAIGNING VARIOUS OF LE GALL AND DELOGU POSING WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS (SOUNDBITE)(French) MEMBER OF FAR-LEFT FRANCE UNBOWED PARTY (LFI), ITSELF MEMBER OF THE COALITION OF THE LEFT NEW POPULAR FRONT, ARNAUD LE GALL, SAYING: "I remind you that already in 2012, we were saying with Jean-Luc Melenchon that it would, in the end, be them (the far-right) against us. And for a simple reason, it is that the neo-liberal, liberal system embodied by Macron and his mates and by others before them is reaching its limits, is running out of steam and therefore there are only two responses which are being offered to people. It's either we look for scapegoats, we stigmatise foreigners, Muslims, black people, whatever you want or we change things up, we break with neoliberalism, we propose social justice, we redistribute wealth. And that is how we will rebuild society and our nation. But there you go, I don't know, I'm not scared, that's not the point. We've been ready for this for a long time. We knew that in the end, it would be them against us. Now, obviously it saddens me for the state of the country." VARIOUS OF CAMPAIGNERS DISTRIBUTING LEAFLETS LE GALL AND DELOGU WALKING IN MARKET DELOGU SPEAKING TO LOCAL RESIDENTS LEAFLETS BEING DISTRIBUTED (SOUNDBITE) (French) 26 YEAR-OLD LOCAL VOTER WHO IS MARRIED TO A MUSLIM, WENDY BOUBER, SAYING: "It will turn into a civil war if the RN goes through because people will revolt, because the fascists will suddenly be more visible and will try to attack others. And the Muslims will not be able to live in this world in fact, quite simply." LOCAL RESIDENTS QUEUING AT AT CASH MACHINE (SOUNDBITE) (French) 26 YEAR-OLD LOCAL RESIDENT MARRIED TO A MUSLIM AND VOTER, WENDY BOUBER, SAYING: "I'm very scared, but I think that if I have to live with the RN in France, I will have to leave the country. As a Frenchwoman, I am French." JOURNALIST ASKING: "Why?" "Because I couldn't. We see the RN are in the lead, I think they haven't had so many votes since 1992 and we're starting to see assaults everywhere, some women who have their veils removed in the street, there are young people who leave mosque, who are attacked. People go out into the street and shout 'Long live the RN!' They have very strong propaganda." VEILED WOMEN IN STREET CAMPAIGNING ONGOING VARIOUS OF FRUIT STAND ON MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (French) 29 YEAR-OLD FRENCH-ALGERIAN LOCAL VOTER, MECHANIC, BOUMENDIENE BOUBEKRI, SAYING: "Who does the dirty work? Who? It's always the same people. Cleaning is always done by the same people. It's always Arabs and black people. I'm not saying that there are no Europeans. There are surely some, but the most people I see are them. It's them cleaning the walls, cleaning out the trash. I only see them. Who will do the work? Who will do the work? It's sad, it's a real shame. We can't spit on France. France has done a lot, it has done a lot. But why are we being rejected like that? We pay our taxes, we do everything we need to do." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN MARKET VARIOUS OF CAMPAIGNING (SOUNDBITE) (French) 63 YEAR-OLD FRANCO-CONGOLESE LOCAL VOTER, PENSIONER, VALERIANE LOUFOUA, SAYING: "If they go through, we're out of here. Of course." LE GALL AND DELOGU CAMPAIGNING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN STREET ELECTION POSTER (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH VOTER FROM THE FRENCH CARIBBEAN, HARRY, 74, SAYING: "We need to do everything we can to stop them because this is a party... People speak of the far-left but the far-right is as dangerous. If I had to chose between choosing between the plague and cholera (a French expression) I would chose the left-wing." VARIOUS OF CAMPAIGN POSTERS POSTER FOR THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS FOR FAR-RIGHT PARTY RECONQUEST WITH LEADER ERIC ZEMMOUR AND MEMBER MARION MARECHAL LE PEN
- Embargoed: 17th July 2024 16:45
- Keywords: France National Rally RN election immigrant
- Location: GOUSSAINVILLE, FRANCE
- City: GOUSSAINVILLE, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001589703072024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: In the Paris suburb of Goussainville at the end of the runway of the city’s biggest airport, many voters said on Wednesday (July 3) that the rise of the far-right ahead of Sunday’s elections had them scared.
In the town of 30,000 people, many work at Charles de Gaulle airport or in hotels and shops in Paris – 20 km away by train.
Polls predict that the far-right National Rally (RN) will emerge as the biggest party nationwide in the parliamentary vote but will likely fall short of a majority, partly due to other parties withdrawing candidates in close contests to back the RN’s opponent.
In Goussainville the election is a two-way fight between the RN and the hard left France Unbowed (LFI) party, part of a broad left-wing coalition which is well placed to keep the seat after a strong performance in the first round.
Its candidate Arnaud Le Gall was out campaigning on Wednesday, shaking hands with locals and handing out flyers.
But the historic rise of the RN fronted by leader Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen has made many in the bustling market in Goussainville – many of whom are immigrants – uneasy.
Though it is an anti-immigrant party, the RN has shed its reputation for racism and describes itself as a party for all French people.
(Production: Janis Laizans, Louise Dalmasso, Johnny Cotton) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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