France: A Social Situation on the Brink

Without this slogan, simply demanding 'restrictions' or a 'freeze on fuel prices' would be utterly feeble. Executives at TotalEnergies have already issued stark warnings: should their profit margins be threatened, they will respond with ruthless measures—cutting supply, suspending or redirecting investments, and so on. Expropriation is essential: only by taking this step can fuel prices be effectively controlled, while simultaneously improving wages and working conditions within this multinational corporation. The second urgent priority: a comprehensive wage increase, with wages indexed to inflation. Soaring raw material prices are delivering sustained shocks across all sectors. Inflation will not subside over the coming months—it will almost certainly continue rising. Under capitalism, only a global economic recession—that is, yet another disaster—could suppress inflation, but at the devastating cost of sharply escalating unemployment and poverty rates. The Role of Union Leadership The crisis of French capitalism runs deep. No matter how the economic climate shifts or what policies the government enacts, it cannot alleviate the suffering endured by the people. On the contrary: the purchasing power and living conditions of the overwhelming majority will deteriorate—steadily or rapidly—across the board. To halt this ongoing social regression, a thorough transformation of economic and social policy is indispensable. Put plainly, the government of the rich must be replaced by a government of the workers. Regrettably, however, the current union leadership—including that of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT)—is moving in no such direction. On the evening of 29 September, the CGT leadership issued a statement titled 'Public Services: The Government Has 48 Hours to Reconsider Its Position in the Face of Public Outrage.' It declared that the government had '48 hours' to 'raise civil servants’ wages, allocate resources to public services, and cease plundering workers, pensioners, patients, renters, and ordinary families.' Yet everyone—Sophie Binet of the CGT included—knows full well that the government will not comply. So what, then, does the CGT leadership intend to do? We simply do not know. This press release merely reiterates plans for protest actions on 5, 6, 8, and 14 October—nothing more. It lays out no genuine strategy of struggle, and makes no mention whatsoever of the action scheduled for 17 October. Why? Because the CGT leadership fears this explosive social movement may slip beyond its control. This is precisely the crux of the problem. The most militant activists within the CGT must wage an internal struggle to compel its leadership to authentically reflect the widespread anger of the masses—and to meet the objective demands of the labor movement. How Do We Win? The movement’s immediate demands—on wages, employment, education, and working conditions—must be linked to the broader strategic goal of toppling the Le Corneur government and the system it upholds. Likewise, our methods of struggle must match the scale and urgency of the tasks before us. No mere 'day of action', however large, can force concessions from the government—or from the powerful interests backing it: TotalEnergies executives, major multinationals, and banks. Leaders of the left and the labor movement—first and foremost the CGT and France Insoumise—must join forces to build a powerful rolling strike movement, backed by broad-based propaganda and mobilization efforts.

[Interview Translation] The Rise of France Insoumise

Interviewee: Clémence Guetté Translation: John Smith Date: 28 November 2025 Original link: jacobin.com/2025/11/fra... Like many other European countries, France has witnessed the historic decline of traditional workers’ parties. Yet the rise of France Insoumise has ensured the revitalization of a vibrant left rooted in mass mobilization. Interviewer: Teiko The multiple crises plaguing President Emmanuel Macron’s tenure signal a profound political upheaval in France. In much reporting, the likely beneficiaries appear to be Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National), which currently enjoys high polling support. Yet the French left has repeatedly proven itself impossible to ignore. Just last summer, the New Popular Front (NFP) coalition defied expectations and emerged victorious in the parliamentary elections. Crucial to this success—and to the radical character of the NFP’s platform—was the militant left-wing force France Insoumise. Its presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, remains the most popular left-wing candidate in the past two electoral cycles; compared with other radical left forces across Europe, the movement has built far more durable influence both within protest movements and inside formal institutions. In an interview, France Insoumise MP Clémence Guetté and Antoine Salles-Papou of the La Boétie Institute explain the movement’s strategy, its grounding in mass mobilization, and the possibility of carrying out a thorough reform of the Fifth Republic’s institutions. This interview first appeared in Italian in Teiko. Teiko: Let us begin by looking back historically, situating your movement within a broader historical context. What were the social and political conditions that gave birth to France Insoumise? What key forces contributed to its founding, and how did they shape the movement’s structure and ideology? Clémence Guetté: France Insoumise was founded in February 2016, specifically to support Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s presidential campaign. At that time, its precise form had not yet been fully defined. Hindsight allows us to see how the French, European, and global contexts helped explain why this initiative succeeded: it emerged at the confluence of multiple cycles of social and political struggle; it arose to break through a prevailing political impasse and advance the project of rupture.

French Far-Left Candidate Mélenchon Says 'We Must Change Everything'

2 days ago

Jean-Luc Mélenchon launched his 2027 election program, pledging to cap essential food prices and phase out nuclear power in favor of renewables.

france24

2026-11-07

French Far-Left Candidate Mélenchon Says 'We Must Change Everything'

French Far-Left Candidate Mélenchon Says 'We Must Change Everything'

FAQ