France Elections. I am an immigrant

I don't approve of rioting, but in France it has always been so. And yes, worse than in the UK.

Oreo

Well quite halfpint1 people everywhere are worried about massive amounts of immigration. Here in the UK tho, a lot of people label anyone who’s worried about it as ‘racists’.
Maybe things are different in France.

Have just listened to the spectators journalist, who lives in France, any there who voted for Le PEN also gets the same abuse, so no different, in fact worse,
Just watching the thugs rioting in Paris, people who voted for Le Pen were told "we're coming for you".

Yes well put Galaxy.

Also, if France does now bring their retirement age back to 60, doesn't that show that some Brexit leavers had a point about disparity amongst EU members?
Nothing at all to do with racism.

I would guess because they were united in their hatred of their opponent but united in little else.

I don't understand how, when parties engineer a win by coming together, that they can't then find a balance in working together. From what I am reading in French newspapers this morning, they are bringing about their own downfall. I assume the saving grace is that Macron can at least choose his own Prime Minister, though that will no doubt create tensions too.

Well quite halfpint1 people everywhere are worried about massive amounts of immigration. Here in the UK tho, a lot of people label anyone who’s worried about it as ‘racists’.
Maybe things are different in France.

As much as immigration is a problem to the Uk so it is to the rest of Europe. However the British media seem to portray it as
Only happening there. The strengthening of the far right demonstrates the depth of anger in France.

My village has a population of 638 and a resident Brit population of 11 at the moment. So we have to be able to speak French. Sometimes it's difficult because some people want to speak English, such as our doctor and our vet.

It's not been helped by both bars/restaurants being closed - one for 9 months and the other for 6 months.

Eloethan

People must have short memories. You would think, having been occupied by the Nazis and seeing the atrocities committed against minority populations, French people would be a lot more careful about who they vote for.

Yes, I agree. The experiences during the last war will have made many French people wary of voting for the right wing. Certainly no-one wants a repeat of what the Nazis did but, at the same time, immigration has got out of control.
I think this election should act as a wake-up call to all European leaders....'get a grip'.
'Freedom of movement' should have been purely for Europeans within Europe, not an open invitation for outsiders to come in.

PPS .. there ARE grammar mistakes. My bad!

PS there's grammar mistakes in her message! Not mine!

I've just had an incoming message ftom a French friend over there:

Pour Mélenchon, beaucoup de personnes sont outrées de son comportement, il a annoncé beaucoup de choses sans consulté les autres membres.
Pour nous ça va être ingérable, ils veulent tous le pouvoir... et surtout garder leurs idées.

Basically that Mélenchon has been announcing things without consulting the other members.
And that it will be unmanageable because they all want power and all want to hang onto their own ideas.

Just to reassure anyone who thinks the hard left will prevail in Parliament, Mélenchon and La France Insoumise are very far from being able to take charge. They are part of a broad left alliance, which gained 19 seats more than Macron's party in second place. The negotiations for some sort of coalition will be lengthy and unlikely to involve extremists. Mélenchon was demanding all sorts of things last night and some of the British press seem to have believed him.

Mamie

Mélanchon will be as difficult as possible and is calling for all sorts of things he won't get, so it will be complicated, but he compromised enough to create this broad left alliance in the first place.
Yes Macron stays in place and constitutionally the President is responsible for foreign affairs, which is a relief. Domestic policy will be harder to get through.

That all fits with what I’ve read Mamie .I would rather that Macron’s centrist Party had got the bigger share of the votes but the left alliance is better than the far right coming out on top.

I cannot understand why people think it right to destroy property attack police, because they won. It must have been a right mess last week when they thought Le Pen may get in.
I weep for France. They can't even get a PM in place,and who would want that job now with a hard Left Corbyn type in charge.

Wyllow3

Yes, not straightforward as the alliance is new, with differing views. From a UK POV however probably better to work with.

I agree, I have a sense of relief the far right didn’t get in, but also a slight worry about the coalition and hope it’s a positive which doesn’t lead to constant in-fighting and arguing!

I would riot in the street, or at least protest, if Reform UK ever came close to being able to form a govt. my biggest fear from Farage is that he’ll “disrupt” parliament and be as divisive within the HoC as he was outside instead of doing what he’s paid to do and look after his constituency which comprises some very deprived wards as well as some very wealthy areas.

Strange times eh!

I’m looking forward to hearing RR first speech today.

Dinahmo

Freya I was surprised, having lived in or close to Brixton not to see any coloured faces. I remember when we lived in Brixton an old friend and her young daughter came to stay for a few days. They lived on the coast in Pembrokeshire and I met them at the railway station to accompany theme on the tube. There were several black people heading south and the little girl just stared. She had never before seen a person of colour in her life.

Think I was about 10, lived I a small village in Lincs. I remember going down the road and seeing someone, in what I know now was a Turban. The first person with darker skin that we had seen. Not dad though, as hed served with Sikhs during the war. He became a friendly face, he was our Kleeneze man.

Joseann

I do understand what you're saying, Dinahmo, especially in very rural areas and as people get older. French is a difficult language to master too.
I just feel that English people can't possibly embrace French life 100% without a command of the language, as it restricts their interaction with French people. So they don't bother.

I think that was common in the huge number that came in the early "Place in the Sun" days and then they went back when they realised it wasn't so easy.
I guess if you live somewhere with lots of Anglophones you can still get by, but you certainly wouldn't round here.
In terms of yesterday's vote, I do wonder if the actual numbers allow for a Centrist coalition. Mélenchon was behaving as if he personally had won the election last night, but he really hasn't.

I do understand what you're saying, Dinahmo, especially in very rural areas and as people get older. French is a difficult language to master too.
I just feel that English people can't possibly embrace French life 100% without a command of the language, as it restricts their interaction with French people. So they don't bother.

I have just seen a funny tweet on the issue. 'After giving a leg up to the hard right, Macron has now boosted the hard left, quite an achievement for a centrist'.
It made me smile and worry about my own centrist position.

Joseann

A cause for celebration in France tonight!

I forgot to say,
A cause for rioting too. But that's normal in France.

I feel a bit sorry for Macron, I hope he can handle the situation over the next 3 years, and not have to waste time trying to come to agreement with the left on petty issues. If there's too much arguing nothing will get done, and it would be a shame for him to end his presidency on this note. He is an intelligent person who has served France well.
Sorry, I'm not writing him off, but he does look about 10 years older now than he did last month!

Sorry should be Mélenchon not Mélanchon.

The Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has offered to resign, but stay in place as long as needed. Macron may keep him in place or go with a more neutral PM. The President can theoretically appoint anyone he chooses. I think is highly unlikely to be Mélanchon.

Mélanchon will be as difficult as possible and is calling for all sorts of things he won't get, so it will be complicated, but he compromised enough to create this broad left alliance in the first place.
Yes Macron stays in place and constitutionally the President is responsible for foreign affairs, which is a relief. Domestic policy will be harder to get through.

I saw that the leader of the left isn’t popular or representative of the views of much of his party, and not likely to become PM, but people who live in France will tell us how they see the land lying, it’s hard from over the channel to know. Either way they won’t oust Macron, he’s there until 2027 isn’t he, whether they like it or not?