Macron may have won, but he will fail

13th May 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Jane West

The French presidential elections ended with Macron sweeping into the Élysée Palace on 66 per cent of the vote, and Le Pen roundly defeated. But this is the beginning, not the end. Macron has no alternative to the politics of austerity that have destroyed the Socialist Party, and therefore he will fail. His popularity will be short-lived and the fight between the left and the far right as to which will succeed in hegemonising the increasing alienated French electorate will break out with renewed force.

Benoit Hamon: the bulwark against Valls

28th January 2017 Socialist Action 0

Notes from the front of 28-01-2017

On Sunday (tomorrow) we will know who will be the candidate for President of the Socialist Party (SP) after one month of debate. Following the first round of this selection two contenders remain: the leader of the SP’s left opposition Benoit Hamon who came first with 36 per cent ahead of the last prime minister Manuel Valls (30 per cent). This result was taken as a slap in the face by Valls, but what would you expect after five years of austerity, whipping up racism and imposing the state of emergency – three things he was a strong promoter of.