The new French Popular Front can stop the far right

Clemence Guette

Allow me first of all to return to the program signed and supported by all the political forces of the New Popular Front. We must disentangle the media presentation of the supposedly numerous disagreements of the left, which almost always results in a caricature of the position of France Insoumise on Gaza. For example, I often hear on television that we are not calling for the release of Israeli hostages, although we demanded it from October 7. Naturally, this requirement is included in the program’s emergency measures, as is the call for immediate release. ceasefire in Gaza.

There is no division within the New Popular Front on the need to defend peace and support international legal proceedings relating to the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Similarly, I hear too often that France Insoumise has an ambiguous position on the war in Ukraine. On the contrary, we have condemned Russia’s violation of international law since its invasion of Ukraine. Our votes, particularly in the European Parliament, speak for themselves.

That being said, the visions of international peace defended by the different currents of the New Popular Front are not perfectly homogeneous. Compromises had to be made, faced with the urgency of standing up to the far right, to restore peace in Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine and stop the killings. France Insoumise is committed to a diplomatic and non-military solution to the border question in Ukraine. War with a nuclear power is not an acceptable strategy.

We call for a non-aligned international position and reject the idea of ​​providing “unconditional” support to any nation. Our compass is and will remain international law and the defense of strong and independent French diplomacy. Peace in Ukraine, as in Gaza, must be achieved by law and not by arms. It’s not just a matter of principle: it’s the way all conflicts have been resolved.

We took it upon ourselves to be the first and sometimes only political force in France to demand comprehensive peace in the Middle East. This consistency has opened us up to unwarranted attacks. But it also allowed us to rally our partners in the New Popular Front to our position, and to win concrete victories such as the vote of the European Parliament in favor of a ceasefire. We will continue on this path.