Pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign backed French far-right in European elections

By and
Election campaign poster for the far-right RN party. © Photo Joël Saget / AFP Election campaign poster for the far-right RN party. © Photo Joël Saget / AFP

Pro-Kremlin online networks led a disinformation campaign in support of the chairman of the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party during the recent European Parliament elections. After the far-right garnered almost 32% of votes cast in France, President Emmanuel Macron called snap legislative elections, plunging the country into political chaos. But that recent disinformation campaign was just the latest that has targeted France, and there are fears that a major operation may now try to influence the outcome of the imminent legislative poll. Justine Brabant and Matthieu Suc report.

Giorgia Meloni takes centre stage at G7 summit of weakened leaders

By
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni greets her British counterpart Rishi Sunak, June 13th. © Photo Ludovic Marin / AFP Italian PM Giorgia Meloni greets her British counterpart Rishi Sunak, June 13th. © Photo Ludovic Marin / AFP

Far-right Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has been hosting a summit of leaders of the G7 countries, where the war in Ukraine and Gaza, and economic relations with China were high on the agenda. But despite the grins during the photocalls, Meloni is the only one with anything to laugh about, emerging triumphant from European elections which severely weakened French President Emmanuel Macron, who called snap general elections which could lead to the formation of a far-right government. The parties of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his coalition allies were similarly battered. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces defeat in general elections in July, and US President Joe Biden faces a tough re-election bid. François Bougon reports.

Snap elections: how Macron is throwing France into potential chaos

By
French President Emmanuel Macron emerges after voting in the European elections, June 9th 2024. © Photo Hannah McKay / AFP French President Emmanuel Macron emerges after voting in the European elections, June 9th 2024. © Photo Hannah McKay / AFP

Following the huge success of the French far-right Rassemblement National party (the former Front National) in the  polling on Sunday to elect members to the new assembly of the European Parliament, President Emmanuel Macron has called a surprise snap election of France’s national parliament, due in three weeks’ time. In this op-ed article, Mediapart political correspondent Ellen Salvi argues why Macron’s strategy, adopted since 2017, of presenting himself as the only alternative to the far-right has reached its limit, and now threatens a major disaster for the country.

Mediapart salutes the memory of press freedom campaigner Christophe Deloire

By
Christophe Deloire, pictured in Paris, October 9th 2020. © Photo : Stéphane de Sakutin Christophe Deloire, pictured in Paris, October 9th 2020. © Photo : Stéphane de Sakutin

Christophe Deloire, the secretary general of press freedom NGO Reporters sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders), has died at the age of 53, it was announced on Saturday. Mediapart salutes the importance of the battles he fought for the cause of a free, independent and pluralist press and, as Mediapart’s publishing editor Carine Fouteau writes here, we keep in mind our common combat over issues of major importance for the media.


The 'social clean-up' ahead of the Paris Olympics

By
Police evicting several hundred people, including families, who had been squatting a disused industrial building in L’Île-Saint-Denis, north of Paris, April 26th 2023. © Photo Ameer Alhalbi / Anadolu via AFP Police evicting several hundred people, including families, who had been squatting a disused industrial building in L’Île-Saint-Denis, north of Paris, April 26th 2023. © Photo Ameer Alhalbi / Anadolu via AFP

A collective organisation representing associations dedicated to assisting people in situations of social exclusion this week published a report documenting the crackdown in Paris on the homeless and squatters ahead of the Olympic Games to be held in the capital this summer. It notes that a “social clean-up” began in earnest last year, and has led to the evictions and forced expulsions of more than 12,000 people. Faïza Zerouala reports.

'Judaeo-Christian civilisation': Nethanyahu's historical lie on French television

By
Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, April 17th 2024. © Photo Kira Hofmann / dpa / ZUMA / REA Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, April 17th 2024. © Photo Kira Hofmann / dpa / ZUMA / REA

Speaking on France's LCI news channel last week, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu waved the banner of defending 'Judaeo-Christian civilisation' as he sought to justify his crusade against the Palestinian people. In this analysis, Mediapart co-founder Edwy Plenel deconstructs an historical falsehood that ignores the long history of Christian anti-Semitism.

Crackdown after unrest in New Caledonia: six months in jail for 'throwing a bottle'

By Gilles Caprais
The courthouse in Nouméa on May 29th 2024. © Photo Gilles Caprais pour Mediapart The courthouse in Nouméa on May 29th 2024. © Photo Gilles Caprais pour Mediapart

The French Ministry of the Interior has just announced that the final areas of the capital city Nouméa have been brought back under control as a form of peace slowly returns to New Caledonia following the recent unrest. Meanwhile the crackdown on those accused of being involved in the disturbances – which led to seven deaths, including two gendarmes, and saw a state of emergency imposed – has started. On Wednesday two men were jailed for acts that caused no injury or any specified material damage. The criminal court in Nouméa justified the severity of the sentences by pointing to the context of the unrest. Gilles Caprais reports from Nouméa.

Bernard Arnault: how the world's richest man bought Paris

 © Illustration Justine Vernier / Mediapart © Illustration Justine Vernier / Mediapart

Bernard Arnault has got his hands on the French capital. On top of the 200 or so LVMH addresses counted by Mediapart in the city, the luxury goods multinational run by the billionaire is quietly appropriating symbolic locations for itself, with the approval of city hall. This Mediapart investigation into the group's raid on Paris has been carried out by Dan Israel, Martine Orange, Khedidja Zerouali and Florence Loève.

France must no longer be an accomplice to the war in Gaza

The aftermath of the attack in Rafah. © Photo Eyad Baba / AFP The aftermath of the attack in Rafah. © Photo Eyad Baba / AFP

The deadly strike that hit a camp for displaced people at Rafah once again highlights the extreme violence that Israel has been carrying out for nearly eight months against the Gaza Strip. Western countries, including France, can no longer just be content with issuing superficial condemnations of such attacks, argue Rachida El Azzouzi and Mediapart's joint editor-in-chief Lénaïg Bredoux in this op-ed article.

 

The French Left's duty to work together as far-right eyes gains at European elections

By
President Emmanuel Macron and prime minister Gabriel Attal, top, with far-right candidate Jordan Bardella. © Photomontage Mediapart avec Sipa et REA President Emmanuel Macron and prime minister Gabriel Attal, top, with far-right candidate Jordan Bardella. © Photomontage Mediapart avec Sipa et REA

As the far-right gains support across Europe, President Emmanuel Macron continues to portray them as the only political alternative to him and his party in France. The different strands of the French Left therefore need to work together or run the risk of being marginalised in the European elections on June 9th, writes Mediapart publishing editor Carine Fouteau.

The need to be resolute in the fight against anti-Semitism

By
 © Photo Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas via AFP © Photo Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas via AFP

Anti-Semitism is witnessing a resurgence in France at the moment, and is even being stirred up from abroad. In this op-ed article Mediapart co-founder Edwy Plenel argues that neither the fact that it is being exploited to help Israel's cause, nor the fact that there are also other racisms that need combatting, can justify underestimating the dangers involved in this rise of anti-Jewish sentiment.

The lucrative business behind the Macron charity football matches

By
Jacques Vendroux, left, and Emmanuel Macron during the Varietés Club de France match at Plaisir, west of Paris, April 24th 2024. © Photo Eric Tschaen / REA Jacques Vendroux, left, and Emmanuel Macron during the Varietés Club de France match at Plaisir, west of Paris, April 24th 2024. © Photo Eric Tschaen / REA

In April this year President Emmanuel Macron was filmed playing alongside celebrities and former football stars in a charity match to raise money for young people in hospital. But behind this and other similar charity football games there is also a lucrative business. Captains of industry are being charged up to 75,000 euros for each star-studded encounter, which buys them media exposure and a place at a post-match dinner held at the Elysée. As Antton Rouget reports, the money raised from this is not given to charities. Instead, the proceeds are going to a company owned by the son of the veteran sports journalist who runs the charity involved in the matches.

Eight victims of climate change file lawsuits against TotalEnergies

By
Green party activists protest against the fossil fuel activities of TotalEnergies in front of its headquarters at La Défense, close to Paris, on March 28th 2024. © Photo Thomas Samson / AFP Green party activists protest against the fossil fuel activities of TotalEnergies in front of its headquarters at La Défense, close to Paris, on March 28th 2024. © Photo Thomas Samson / AFP

Eight people from seven countries who are separately related to individuals who have died from extreme weather events this week filed lawsuits, together with three NGOs, against the directors and shareholders of French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies, who they accuse of crimes of manslaughter and placing lives in danger through the group’s knowing contribution to climate change. Mickaël Correia reports.

Behind the anger of New Caledonia’s young Kanaks

By
A young Kanak close to a roadblock in Nouméa, capital of New Caledonia. A young Kanak close to a roadblock in Nouméa, capital of New Caledonia.

French President Emmanuel Macron left Paris for New Caledonia on Tuesday, in a bid to defuse the unrest in France’s Pacific Ocean territory that has claimed the lives of at least six people over the past week. The eruption of rioting last week followed a move by Paris to allow recent settlers on the archipelago the right to vote in local elections, which will have the effect of diminishing the political representation of the indigenous Kanak people. Mediapart turned to French anthropologist and researcher specialised in New Caledonian affairs Benoît Trépied for his insight into the anger of the archipelago's young Kanaks, who are at the forefront of the violent protests.

New Caledonia: a return of colonialism through the back door

By
Kanaks demonstrate in the New Caledonian capital Nouméa, on April 13th 2024. © Photo Nicolas Job / Sipa Kanaks demonstrate in the New Caledonian capital Nouméa, on April 13th 2024. © Photo Nicolas Job / Sipa

A sixth person was on Saturday reported to have been killed in the ongoing unrest in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, amid increasing calls for Emmanuel Macron and his government to place on hold the legislation that sparked the violence. This will give newly arrived settlers, mostly European, on the South Pacific archipelago the right to vote in local elections, whereas until now the electoral register was frozen in order that the indigenous Kanak people maintain their political representation. In this analysis of the crisis, Mediapart publishing editor Carine Fouteau says that an almost four-decade-long process of decolonization is now at a crossroads, and at stake is the survival of the Kanak people who have been gradually turned into a minority under French domination since the mid-19th century.