Jacques Cheminade: After Macron’s Defeat, France Should Leave NATO’s Integrated Command

The results of the second round of the French legislative elections on June 19 are likely to provoke an earthquake in the country, leading either to total chaos and ungovernability, or to a positive change, provided the so-called newcomer winners can espouse a higher sense of the nation. As Jacques Cheminade,the president of Solidarité et Progrès, wrote in his first post-electoral tweet: « The defeat of Emmanuel Macron in the legislative elections of 2022 makes it possible for France to change policies. The NATO summit at the end of June in Madrid aims at controlling the EU to turn it into a military union against Russia and China. We need to build a front against that. »

President Emmanuel Macron’s party (Ensemble) lost its absolute majority in the National Assembly, winning only 245 seats out of the 289 that would have been necessary (compared to 309 seats in 2017). Major gains were made by the left-wing alliance headed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon (NUPES) as well as by Marine Le Pen’s right-wing Rassemblement National (RN), which are awarded 142 and 89 seats respectively. The conservative Republican Party (currently number two in the National Assembly) and the center right (liberals) are down to 64 seats. But the highest score went, once again, to the abstentions, which reached a record 53,7 % %, while the white or void votes was up to 7,4 %.

Given the extreme fragmentation of the parliamentary groups that are to be formed, there will be endless possibilities to block the policies and actions pushed by Emmanuel Macron and the government, including the option of a vote of no-confidence. However, as Jacques Cheminade has insisted, the good results for the NUPES and the Rassemblement National also point to the emergence of a « popular bloc » that rejects the current neo-liberal agenda and Cold War policy. So, if the political leaders of these two formations decide to rise above their ideological differences and steer France toward a better future, the possibility to do so is also available.

Indeed, while Emmanuel Macron represents the party of the wealthy financial and transatlantic elites, the NUPES and the RN have both called for France to pull out of the integrated command of NATO and pursue an independent policy toward Russia, China, etc. In addition, they have both run on an anti-austerity platform and in defense of public services. Their biggest difference is on the « energy transition”, with the NUPES being largely favorable to renewable energies, although on that, President Macron and the other conservative parties are also pro-nuclear.

Another tweet sent by Jacques Cheminade notes that « Leaving NATO’s integrated command is the absolute priority, because to remain there will take us to war, whether we want it or not.” The new parliamentarians, he continues, especially those who were for a withdrawal, will be judged by how they act now on this issue.

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