The left in France surged to victory in parliamentary elections over the weekend in a shock performance after weeks of surging momentum for the country’s right wing.
The New Popular Front coalition in France is made up of communists, socialists, and greens. The alliance was propelled to victory in the election over the National Rally, France’s right-wing faction, after centrists partnered with the left to block National Rally candidates.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who leads the centrist coalition Ensemble, worked with the New Popular Front to withdraw 200 candidates from races across France, urging support to consolidate support behind the remaining centrist or left-wing candidate. National Rally leader Jordan Bardella expressed bitter disappointment in the tactic, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/07/europe/france-election-results-gamble-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>.
The election left all three political power centers – New Popular Front, Ensemble, and National Rally – without a majority in parliament, setting up a chaotic and fractious environment where governing may be extraordinarily difficult.
“It’s not possible to govern France if you don’t have 240 to 250 lawmakers,” MP Sylvain Maillard, a member of Macron’s Renaissance party, told <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/france-election-national-assembly-voters-marine-le-pen-far-right-national-rally-jordan-bardella-emmanuel-macron-jean-luc-melenchon-french-politics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico Europe</a>. “I was president of the Renaissance group with a coalition of 250 members of parliament and it was already very complicated.”
The New Popular Front coalition won 182 seats, the largest share of any group. Macron’s Ensemble lost seats and ended with 163, while National Rally and its allies surged from 89 seats in 2022 to 143 seats, a sizable gain but far short of the majority that many expected National Rally to win.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a member of Renaissance, announced he would be resigning his prime ministership on the heels of the election.
“Faithful to the Republican tradition and in accordance with my principles, tomorrow morning I will submit my resignation to the president of the Republic,” Attal said Sunday, according to a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/07/french-prime-minister-gabriel-attal-to-tender-resignation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a> translation of his remarks. “I know that, in light of the results of this evening, many French people feel a certain uncertainty about the future, as no absolute majority has emerged [in parliament]. Our country is experiencing an unprecedented political situation.”
Riots erupted across France after the election’s outcome started to materialize in early predictions. Officials deployed roughly 30,000 riot police across the country to handle unrest as crowds of people took to the streets, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13609987/Protesters-clash-riot-police-Paris-Nantes-Marine-Le-Pen.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a>.
In videos of the unrest posted to social media, some were seen celebrating the left-wing victory. In one video, a woman shouts, “We beat you!” In another, a man says, “You lost, the left is too strong. We have love, we are celebrating, and we have joy. And you, you have hatred, we are too strong,” according to <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/07/08/rioters-france-left-wing-snap-election/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Caller</a>.

Emmanuel Macron

Right-Wing Disappoints In French Elections After Collusion By Left, Center

France

Leftist and centrist parties in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">France</a> are attempting to join forces to stop Marine Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally party from taking power.
Last Sunday, National Rally won 34% of the vote; the left-wing New Popular Front won 28.12%, and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, the Ensemble Coalition, won 20% of the vote. A second vote will be taken on Sunday.
“The second round of a French parliamentary is generally made up largely of run-off duels between the top two candidates in a constituency, but because so many third-placed candidates qualified on Sunday, that set up more than 300 three-way run-offs,” the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd160dywp02o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.  That would make it easier for a candidate from Le Pen’s party to win.
Thus, at least 200 candidates from the centrist and leftist parties — 134 from the Left and 82 from Macron’s party, according to <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2024/07/02/legislatives-2024-pour-faire-barrage-au-rn-195-candidats-et-candidates-se-sont-deja-desistes-suivez-le-decompte-en-temps-reel_6245837_4355771.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Le Monde</a> — have withdrawn from the race so that in their constituencies, Le Pen’s party will see their candidate running against only one opponent, the one thought to have the best chance of winning.
After the election last Sunday, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the head of the hard-Left party France Unbowed (which joined a coalition with the New Popular Front) and has refused to call Hamas a terrorist organization, advised any of his candidates who had finished third to withdraw, Politico <a href="//74ED9F05-1148-4281-BFFC-387F8DD1DACC/v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, aligned with Macron, echoed the message, saying, “In such circumstances, France deserves that we not hesitate.”
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1712932862202000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0plT8RRdMy9XUpIhocnjQS">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
But some centrists who strongly oppose the hard-Left would not countenance supporting them in order to defeat the National Rally party because of their penchant for spending and their opposition to supporting the state of Israel in its war against Hamas. “Senior figures like Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and former prime minister Edouard Philippe – both originally from the center-right – are refusing to issue instructions to vote systematically against the RN,” the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg3m98j3zpyo">reported</a>.
On Tuesday, Le Pen also accused Macron of a “administrative coup d’état” after being apprised that he was getting ready to make important appointments in the police and army.
“When you want to counter the results of an election by nominating your people to jobs, and when that stops [the government] from being able to carry out policies which the French people have asked for &#8230; I call that an administrative coup d’état. &#8230; I hope it is only rumor,” she said.

FRANCE-POLITICS-ELECTIONS-PARTIES-RN

France’s Left, Center Join Forces To Stop Le Pen From Taking Power In Sunday’s Election

Elections

Marine Le Pen

World

Protests rocked Paris and several other cities across France after French President Emmanuel Macron&#8217;s party suffered massive losses in Sunday&#8217;s first round of parliamentary elections. Marine Le Pen&#8217;s right-wing populist party, the National Rally Alliance, was the big winner.
National Rally, <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/first-round-france-legislative-elections-live-updates-emmanuel-macron-marine-le-pen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Politico</a>, came out of the first round with 34% of the vote — up from 18.7% in 2022 — which means that it is possible for them to win an outright majority next week.
Macron&#8217;s Ensemble Coalition, largely viewed as centrist, finished third in the vote count with 20% (down from 25.8% in 2022). The far left party came away with 28.1%, which Politico reported as a &#8220;strong showing&#8221; but not likely strong enough to follow it up with a majority win next week.
In the wake of the elections, left-wing protesters — reportedly an amalgam of French socialists, communists, and pro-Palestinians — descended upon Paris&#8217; Place de la République by the thousands. Other demonstrations were reported in Strasbourg, Lyon, Nantes and Lille.
&#8220;Mass Demonstrations and Riots by Far-Left Groups alongside Islamists are ongoing tonight in the French Capital of Paris as well as several other Cities around the Country, in Response to today’s Election Results which saw the Right-Wing Populist Party, National Rally led by Marine Le Pen make Major Gains in the French Parliament,&#8221; OSINTdefender posted via X, sharing several videos of the protests. &#8220;Notice how out all of the Flags being waved by these Demonstrators, none are the French Flag.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mass Demonstrations and Riots by Far-Left Groups alongside Islamists are ongoing tonight in the French Capital of Paris as well as several other Cities around the Country, in Response to today’s Election Results which saw the Right-Wing Populist Party, National Rally led by… <a href="https://t.co/UTPvzCZi8R">pic.twitter.com/UTPvzCZi8R</a>
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) <a href="https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1807544584462864749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Des tensions éclatent à Paris.
Des manifestants tirent des feux d&#8217;artifice en direction de la police. Plusieurs départs de feu.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionsLegislatives2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ElectionsLegislatives2024</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/legislatives2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#legislatives2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/3AwpjVxRQS">pic.twitter.com/3AwpjVxRQS</a>
— Luc Auffret (@LucAuffret) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucAuffret/status/1807543640719339821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Les manifestants partent en manifestation spontanée dans les rues de Paris.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionsLegislatives2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ElectionsLegislatives2024</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/legislatives2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#legislatives2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/sJ3Xr6UuKG">pic.twitter.com/sJ3Xr6UuKG</a>
— Luc Auffret (@LucAuffret) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucAuffret/status/1807540378809110933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Tonight, mass demonstrations and riots are occurring in Paris and other cities across France. Far-left groups and Islamists are protesting the recent election results, where Marine Le Pen&#8217;s right-wing populist party, National Rally, made significant gains in the French Parliament. Despite the intensity of the protests, it&#8217;s noteworthy that none of the demonstrators are seen waving the French flag,&#8221; another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
❗️🔥🇫🇷 &#8211; Tonight, mass demonstrations and riots are occurring in Paris and other cities across France.
Far-left groups and Islamists are protesting the recent election results, where Marine Le Pen&#8217;s right-wing populist party, National Rally, made significant gains in the French… <a href="https://t.co/T8pgsYSLw3">pic.twitter.com/T8pgsYSLw3</a>
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) <a href="https://twitter.com/theinformant_x/status/1807548836711403707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Here’s footage from Paris tonight,&#8221; Open Source Intel posted. &#8220;Thousands of left-wing activists, along with ANTIFA, communists are protesting the French election results after left-wing parties suffered crushing defeats.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here’s footage from Paris tonight.
Thousands of left-wing activists, along with ANTIFA, communists are protesting the French election results after left-wing parties suffered crushing defeats.
Footage via <a href="https://twitter.com/LucAuffret?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LucAuffret</a> <a href="https://t.co/QSGBkXxWvO">https://t.co/QSGBkXxWvO</a> <a href="https://t.co/IZrF8gmocJ">pic.twitter.com/IZrF8gmocJ</a>
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1807541811742675029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Anti-far-right protests erupt in Paris following election results

Protests Erupt In Paris After Marine Le Pen’s Party Wins Big In Parliamentary Elections

Protests Erupt In Paris After Marine Le Pen's Party Wins Big In Parliamentary Elections

anti-Israel

Paris

Politics

Protests

The following is an edited transcript of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/hunter-biden-jury-deliberates-europe-turns-right-6-11-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morning Wire interview</a> between Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley and Nile Gardiner from The Heritage Foundation.
Conservative and populist parties in several European countries made major gains in European Parliamentary elections Sunday, shaking up several regimes and prompting calls for snap elections. Nile Gardiner, Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation, joined Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley to discuss what is driving Europe to the Right.
JOHN: Welcome, Nile. First, what has unfolded since Sunday?
NILE: Well, I think the results released on Sunday night are nothing less than a political earthquake in Europe. We have seen an emphatic rejection of socialist ruling elites across much of Europe. We have seen a resounding set of victories for parties on the Right in many European countries. And we&#8217;ve seen the utter humiliation of big European figures, such as Emmanuel Macron, president of France, Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, and huge gains for conservative political parties.
JOHN: Who are some of the big names and parties emerging in this sort of rise of the Right?
NILE: The biggest winner, actually, from these European elections has been Georgia Meloni in Italy, whose Brothers of Italy party did extremely well in the European elections, quadrupling their level of support. Meloni has emerged as a very, very powerful leader in Europe. In France, of course, with Marine Le Pen, her political party took over 30% percent of the vote — double the size of the vote for Emmanuel Macron&#8217;s party. She will likely face off against Macron in the French presidential race in 2027. And if that election were to be held today, she would probably emerge as the winner.
<div id="attachment_749093" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-749093" class="size-large wp-image-749093" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155980132-864x576.jpg" alt="Giorgia Meloni, Italy's prime minister, votes in the European Election in Rome, Italy, on Saturday, June 8, 2024. After a series of recent setbacks, Europes far-right parties are aiming for gains in elections to the European Parliament that kicked off on Thursday. Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155980132-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155980132-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155980132-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155980132.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
JOHN: Now, we saw a snap election called by Macron. What prompted it and how risky is this for the French president and his party? 
NILE: In France, Macron&#8217;s political party received only around 15% of the vote in the European Parliamentary elections. A massive humiliation really for Macron&#8217;s ruling party. Macron therefore decided to call a snap Parliamentary election. It will be held in two rounds, late June, early July. And these elections actually could go very badly potentially for the French president. And he could end up as a lame duck president for the remainder of his term, which stretches until 2027, if his party doesn&#8217;t do well in these Parliamentary elections. So, a high-risk gambit, of course, by Macron. In the UK, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, called an early general election to be held on July the 4th. The conservatives are trailing the opposition Labour Party very heavily in the polls, also, of course, this is a high-risk move by Sunak. He&#8217;s come under a lot of criticism for calling this early election and the UK is one of the only parts in Europe where conservatives are actually in real trouble. That&#8217;s probably largely the result of having been in power for 14 years and failing to deliver on a lot of the promises made by successive conservative governments. So a rather different situation in the UK compared to most of the rest of Europe, where we are seeing conservative parties really gaining a great deal of ground. The UK is a bit of an outlier in this area compared to the rest of Europe.
<div id="attachment_749095" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-749095" class="size-large wp-image-749095" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156161328-864x576.jpg" alt="France's President Emmanuel Macron (R) and French President's wife Brigitte Macron (L) grab ballots before their vote for the European Parliament election at a polling station in Le Touquet, northern France on June 9, 2024. Voting began across Europe on June 9, 2024 on the final -- and biggest -- day of marathon EU elections, with balloting due in 21 countries, including France and Germany, where support for surging far-right parties is being tested. (Photo by Hannah McKay / POOL / AFP) (Photo by HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156161328-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156161328-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156161328-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156161328.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images</div>
JOHN: Would you argue that a lot of the dissatisfaction is coming from the Right in the UK?
NILE: Yes, I think that a large part of the dissatisfaction with Rishi Sunak is that he&#8217;s not being conservative enough as prime minister. And so we&#8217;ve seen the rise of Reform, a party headed by Nigel Farage. Reform is now polling at around 15 to even 20% of the vote. These are largely conservative voters who have switched to Reform, so the ruling conservatives actually face a major challenge from Reform on the Right. Of course, the biggest challenge is from the Labor Party on the Left, but the Right in the UK is split right down the middle, and that will be a big factor in most likely allowing the socialists to take power on July the 4th.
JOHN: And what about in Germany? What are some of the trends we&#8217;re seeing there and some of the figures that are starting to define those trends?
NILE: In Germany, it&#8217;s significant that the ruling socialists headed by Olaf Scholz have done very badly. They pulled in only around 14% of the vote. Also, the Green Party did very, very badly. They&#8217;re the main allies of the socialists. They pulled in around 12% of the vote. On the Right, the Christian Democrats did very well, winning nearly a third of the vote. But the AFD political party, which in Germany is designated as hard-Right, they actually pulled in close to around 20% of the European vote, which was a big result for them. Now, I would say that the AFD are quite different from many of the other sort of Right-wing parties in Europe, and they&#8217;re somewhat isolated from the main political groupings in the European Parliament. Significantly, Marine Le Pen actually removed the AFD from her political grouping, the Identity and Democracy group within the European Parliament. So there are big differences among parties on the Right within Europe. But undoubtedly, the reality in Germany is that it is moving Right-wards. The Left is actually losing very heavily in Germany and I would expect to see next year with the national elections in Germany a conservative Christian Democratic Union-led government to take power. It&#8217;s hard to see how the socialists are going to survive with the national elections in Germany next year. There&#8217;s too much power in Brussels. And so most of the political parties on the Right that were successful in this election campaigned against the idea of Euro-federalism and against giving the EU, and the European Commission in particular, more power. We saw the sort of “Brexit Effect” in a big way in this European Parliamentary election.
<div id="attachment_749239" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-749239" class="size-large wp-image-749239" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156163899-864x576.jpg" alt="POTSDAM, GERMANY - JUNE 9: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz casts his ballot in European parliamentary elections on June 9, 2024 in Potsdam, Germany. Elections to the European Parliament have been taking place since June 6 across European Union member states and will conclude tonight. (Photo by Kay Nietfeld - Pool/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156163899-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156163899-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156163899-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156163899.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Kay Nietfeld &#8211; Pool/Getty Images</div>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/hunter-biden-jury-deliberates-europe-turns-right-6-11-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LISTEN: Catch the full conversation on Morning Wire</a>
JOHN: Speaking of Brexit, as you mentioned, Nigel Farage, the architect of Brexit and a pro-Trump ally, has decided to run for Parliament under the Reform Party. How will his entrance into the political arena affect the race?
NILE: Yes, as you point out, Nigel Farage jumped into the race as the leader of the Reform Party just last week. I think it&#8217;s a significant game changer in the sense that Farage is joining the race, heading the Reform political party and encouraging many more conservative voters to switch to Reform. No doubt about it, the conservatives are going to lose a lot more seats as a result of Farage&#8217;s decision here. I think also, secondly, Nigel Farage has a good chance of winning a parliamentary seat. He&#8217;s running in the constituency of Clacton, which is a strongly Euro-skeptic, pro-Brexit area. And if Farage ends up in Parliament, I think he&#8217;ll be a very important, influential figure. What this doesn&#8217;t change, though, in terms of the big picture, is the fact that Reform, even with 15 to 20% of the vote, will likely end up only with a few seats in Parliament because of the “First-past-the-post” political system. And so the conservatives will remain the biggest party on the Right in the UK in terms of parliamentary seats, regardless of how well Reform actually performs in terms of percentage of the vote, because Reform simply doesn&#8217;t have enough firepower to win a large number of MPs under the parliamentary system. So, I expect that Reform, if they do get a few MPs in Parliament, will be closely aligned with the conservatives in terms of how they vote in the next Parliament.
<div id="attachment_749241" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-749241" class="size-large wp-image-749241" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155417741-864x576.jpg" alt="CLACTON-ON-SEA, ENGLAND - JUNE 4: Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage walks to speak to supporters as he launches his election candidacy at Clacton Pier on June 4, 2024 in Clacton-on-Sea, England. The launch follows yesterday's announcement that Nigel Farage will stand as an MP in Clacton at the 4 July general election and takes over from Richard Tice as leader of Reform UK. The Conservative-held seat in Essex was the first to elect a UKIP MP in 2014, a party that Farage founded. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155417741-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155417741-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155417741-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2155417741.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Carl Court/Getty Images</div>
JOHN: While the Right-leaning parties aren’t uniform, there are a lot of unifying characteristics of most of these parties. What would you say are some of the shared ideas and policies driving them?
NILE: Yes, that&#8217;s a very good question. I would say that the number one issue in the European Parliamentary elections was really the issue of mass migration, cultural identity – a fear among many in Europe that Europe is taking in far too many migrants — and has taken in too many migrants over the course of the last two decades. This election was a fundamental rejection of mass migration to open borders. So, all of the parties on the Right who gained heavily campaigned on a platform of secure borders, limiting the flow of migrants into their countries, cracking down on migrant crime, and also fighting against Islamification in Europe. Also, high on the agenda are environmental issues as well as a rejection of net zero ideology. Nearly all of the political parties on the Right that won big in the European Parliamentary elections fought against what they believed as far-Left ideological dogma dictating hugely expensive green policies. A third factor was rising Euro-skepticism and a belief among many in Europe that the European Union has become too centralized. And so most of the political parties on the Right that were successful in this election campaigned against the idea of Euro-federalism and against giving the EU and the European Commission in particular more power.
JOHN: Final question. What aspect of these trends in Europe do you feel are important for an American audience to understand?
NILE: From a U. S. perspective, I think the European election results are going to make the Biden White House very nervous. Because some of the big issues that successful parties on the Right in Europe campaigned on are the same issues that American voters are going to be voting on in November. And the European electorate emphatically rejected the kind of woke, Left-wing, elitism that has dominated Europe in recent decades. And many American voters share European voters’ concerns over mass migration, open borders, rising crime, and higher cost of living. So, what happens in Europe, I think is important to what happens in the U.S. as well.
JOHN: Nile, thank you so much for joining us.
NILE: Thank you.

Questions To The French Government At The National Assembly, In Paris

‘A Political Earthquake In Europe’: Right-Leaning European Parties Gaining Ground

'A Political Earthquake In Europe': Right-Leaning European Parties Gaining Ground

Europe

European Union

Germany

Giorgia Meloni

Italy

Morning Wire

Readers Pass

President Joe Biden raised eyebrows while attending the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France — and then apparently had to be escorted away from the festivities while French President Emmanuel Macron remained on-site to greet the veterans.
At one point during the ceremonies, Biden appeared confused about whether he was supposed to remain standing or sit down, resulting in an awkward half-squat as he looked behind him to see where the chair might be. First lady Jill Biden, who quickly raised one hand in front of her mouth, seemed like she could be feeding him directions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Awkward 😬 <a href="https://t.co/3KNLco85hj">pic.twitter.com/3KNLco85hj</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1798685173216927843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;TFW you realize you had 3 cups of coffee and a bran muffin for breakfast,&#8221; @IowaHawkBlog posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
TFW you realize you had 3 cups of coffee and a bran muffin for breakfast <a href="https://t.co/1mCxIgpHiL">https://t.co/1mCxIgpHiL</a>
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) <a href="https://twitter.com/iowahawkblog/status/1798720332062437576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;You should see him behind closed doors,&#8221; Stephen Miller added. &#8220;Sharp and engaged.&#8221;
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You should see him behind closed doors. Sharp and engaged. <a href="https://t.co/3Bx3j4xUOo">https://t.co/3Bx3j4xUOo</a>
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) <a href="https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1798691767019344026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;At this point, these aren&#8217;t gaffes. These are serious issues of mental lapses. Why Democrats are doing this is beyond me,&#8221; Pradheep Shanker posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
At this point, these aren&#8217;t gaffes. These are serious issues of mental lapses.
Why Democrats are doing this is beyond me. <a href="https://t.co/cSVOzVwE3D">https://t.co/cSVOzVwE3D</a>
— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D. (@neoavatara) <a href="https://twitter.com/neoavatara/status/1798696647624663103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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A short time later, first lady Jill Biden escorted the president away from the ceremonies while the French president and first lady remained behind, greeting the veterans in attendance — many of whom were over 100 years old.
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Jill, Ed.D., escorts Joe Biden out as French President Macron stays behind to greet veterans <a href="https://t.co/n4rpRgdbv5">pic.twitter.com/n4rpRgdbv5</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1798694917641998764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The drug cocktail team has done all it can do. The limits have been reached, and they aren&#8217;t pretty,&#8221; RedState&#8217;s Bonchie posted.
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The drug cocktail team has done all it can do. The limits have been reached, and they aren&#8217;t pretty. <a href="https://t.co/Ple5Sxoi8c">https://t.co/Ple5Sxoi8c</a>
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) <a href="https://twitter.com/bonchieredstate/status/1798729480959123697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The vets look more with it than Biden,&#8221; Ben Domenech added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The vets look more with it than Biden. <a href="https://t.co/YcfkvD0ItY">https://t.co/YcfkvD0ItY</a>
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) <a href="https://twitter.com/bdomenech/status/1798698347257344282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Several of Biden&#8217;s defenders jumped in to claim that it was not a big deal because Biden had previously greeted some of the veterans who attended the ceremonies – but other video clips later surfaced of him looking equally lost when he was taken to visit Omaha Beach, the beachhead that saw the greatest number of casualties on D-Day.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Biden arrives at Omaha Beach in his perpetual state of confusion <a href="https://t.co/FKgllybpyN">pic.twitter.com/FKgllybpyN</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1798727506238845136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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In yet another clip, Biden could be heard explaining to Macron that his &#8220;advance team&#8221; had directed him to leave the venue first.
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BIDEN: &#8220;My advance team said I gotta be the first one to leave&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/x5za5Z70wK">pic.twitter.com/x5za5Z70wK</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1798728237960347839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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FRANCE-HISTORY-WWII-D-DAY-ANNIVERSARY

Biden Raises Eyebrows At D-Day Ceremony, Gets Escorted Away As Macron Greets Veterans

Executive

Jill Biden

Joe Biden

Normandy

World War II

A candle lit from France&#8217;s Flame of Liberty arrived at Arlington National Cemetery on May 24, just ahead of the Memorial Day holiday, and will burn there until June 6th — the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord: D-Day.
French President Emmanuel Macron lit the candle 0n May 8 — from the Flamme de la Liberté at the Arc de Triomphe.
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Le 8 mai 1945 marquait la fin d&#8217;une période de terreur indélébile. Il ouvrait au même moment une ère de paix que nous devons à tout prix préserver.
Que la flamme du Soldat inconnu ne cesse de raviver cette mémoire. <a href="https://t.co/a4vO8woSkM">pic.twitter.com/a4vO8woSkM</a>
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1788170647488647189?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The candle was then carried by a special delegation from Paris to the U.K.; then across the Atlantic to New York Harbor aboard the Queen Mary 2; and finally to Arlington. France&#8217;s flame has been burning since 1923, when it was established as part of a memorial at their tomb of the unknown soldier shortly after the end of World War I.
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On the eve of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MemorialDayWeekend?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MemorialDayWeekend</a>, the Flame of Liberty arrived in Arlington. 
It traveled (and was kept burning🕯) from Paris, via the UK, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DDay</a> &amp; to thank the British and American forces who helped liberate our country. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LestWeForget?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LestWeForget</a> 
🇫🇷🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/VSzuPBuBim">pic.twitter.com/VSzuPBuBim</a>
— Aurélie Bonal (@AurelieBonal) <a href="https://twitter.com/AurelieBonal/status/1794335349566828907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The &#8220;Flame of Liberty&#8221; effort is honoring the 80th anniversary of D-Day by carrying a light lit in the eternal flame that burns for France&#8217;s Unknown Soldier. The lantern has passed through the UK and NY and will arrive at the US Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington today. <a href="https://t.co/Vi8xlW43AY">pic.twitter.com/Vi8xlW43AY</a>
— Laurent Bili (@FrenchAmbUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrenchAmbUS/status/1794002163792011336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Today at <a href="https://twitter.com/ArlingtonNatl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArlingtonNatl</a> the Flame of Liberty &#8211; which has traveled from France &#8211; was transferred to the Tomb Guards to safeguard until June 6th &#8211; the 80th Anniversary of D-Day! <a href="https://twitter.com/franceintheus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@franceintheus</a> Ambassador Bili and Defense Attache Jardin attended. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NeverForget?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NeverForget</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertIrvine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobertIrvine</a> <a href="https://t.co/VJoF7vY1bR">pic.twitter.com/VJoF7vY1bR</a>
— Phyllis Wilson (@wilson_phyllis) <a href="https://twitter.com/wilson_phyllis/status/1794165815014809829?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Helen Ayer Patton, granddaughter of General George S. Patton, was part of the delegation — and she told The Daily Wire that the journey itself was not without surprises.
The week at sea passed pleasantly enough, she said, and the views of the Statue of Liberty and Freedom Tower as they approached were stunning.
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When the Queen Mary docked, even the ship&#8217;s staff commented on how smooth the trip had been — one of the smoothest journeys ever. But just as they began to disembark, the skies opened up and a deluge swept through the city. They were forced to return to the ship to weather the storm — a move that Patton said may have literally saved lives.
They were scheduled to hold a ceremony on shore immediately after they docked, but the tents that were set up to accommodate the ceremony collapsed in the storm. If the delegation had already been under the tents — a delegation that included several D-Day veterans, one of whom is over 100 years old — someone could have been seriously injured or worse.
Patton shared the same story on her Facebook page a short time later, concluding, &#8220;Thank you to the powers that be for restoring good weather just in time when we needed it &#8230; God winks!&#8221;
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&nbsp;

US-MEMORIAL DAY

France’s Flame Of Liberty Arrives At Arlington To Honor 80th Anniversary Of D-Day

France's Flame Of Liberty Arrives At Arlington To Honor 80th Anniversary Of D-Day

Military

Israeli Prime Minister <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/benjamin-netanyahu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Benjamin Netanyahu</a> shot down French President Emmanuel Macron&#8217;s demand this week that Israel stop bombing the terrorists inside Gaza who were responsible for murdering 1,200 Israelis in a terror attack last month.
Macron claimed that there was &#8220;no justification&#8221; for the precision airstrikes and that there should be &#8220;a humanitarian pause, going to a ceasefire&#8221; to protect civilians.
His remarks come after Israel has made numerous attempts for a month to evacuate as many civilians as possible from northern Gaza, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-tens-of-thousands-of-palestinians-escape-northern-gaza-after-israel-opens-evacuation-corridor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">using</a> their military to open up corridors where they protect the civilians as they travel in the tens of thousands to southern Gaza.
&#8220;These babies, these ladies, these old people are bombed and killed,&#8221; Macron claimed in an interview with BBC. &#8220;So there is no reason for that and no legitimacy. So we do urge Israel to stop.&#8221;
Footage released by Israel shows that there have been numerous instances in which their military forces have called off precision strikes because they detected civilians were in the area. There have also been countless examples of Hamas using civilians as human shields, which is a war crime.
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RAW FOOTAGE: IDF cancels airstrikes in Gaza to mitigate civilian casualties. <a href="https://t.co/2m2BnN2LED">pic.twitter.com/2m2BnN2LED</a>
&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1722801833691726111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The responsibility for any harm to civilians lies with Hamas-ISIS and not with Israel,&#8221; Netanyahu said in response to Macron&#8217;s statement.
&#8220;It must be remembered that Israel entered the war due to that terrorist organisation&#8217;s brutal murder of hundreds of Israelis and holding hostage more than 200 Israelis,&#8221; Netanyahu said. &#8220;While Israel does everything in its power to avoid harming civilians and urges them to leave the battle areas, Hamas-ISIS is doing all it can to prevent them from moving to safe areas and uses them as human shields.&#8221;
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Netanyahu correctly noted that Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, was using schools, mosques, and hospitals as terrorist &#8220;command centers.&#8221;
&#8220;Hamas-ISIS is cruelly holding our people hostage &#8212; women, children, the elderly &#8212; and thus committing a crime against humanity,&#8221; the statement concluded. &#8220;The crimes being committed today by Hamas-ISIS in Gaza will be committed tomorrow in Paris, New York and all over the world. The leaders of the world should be condemning Hamas-ISIS, not Israel.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-FRANCE-DIPLOMACY

Netanyahu Smacks Down Macron Insisting That Israel Stop Bombing Terrorists In Gaza

Benjamin Netanyahu

Gaza

Global Politics

Hamas

Israel

French President Emmanuel Macron held nothing back when discussing the urgency facing the Western world to defeat Hamas.
During a press conference Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron called for the international global coalition established to defeat the Islamic State to be expanded to go after Hamas terrorists, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/24/israel-hamas-war-updates-and-latest-news-on-gaza-conflict.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The <a href="https://www.state.gov/the-global-coalition-to-defeat-isis-partners/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh</a>, or ISIS, was established in 2014 and has 86 members, including France, the U.S. and the U.K.
“France is ready for the international coalition against Daesh, in which we are engaged for our operation in Iraq and Syria, to also fight against Hamas,” Macron said. 
Earlier on Tuesday, Macron met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog where he discussed the danger Hamas poses to Israel and the rest of the world.  
“Hamas is a terrorist group, where the very objective is the destruction of the Israeli state,” Macron said. “I propose to our international partners … that we can build a regional and international coalition to fight against the terrorist group that threatens all of us.”
Macron said that Hamas must be fought “without mercy, but not without rules,” adding that civilian casualties must be avoided. The French President’s strong comments against Hamas and in support of Israel come a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged world leaders to condemn Hamas. 
“Enough is enough should have been the case with Hamas two weeks ago,” Blinken <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/blinken-it-would-be-good-to-hear-the-entire-world-condemn-hamas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during an interview on CBS “Face The Nation” on Sunday. “It would be good to hear the entire world speaking clearly and with one voice about the actions that Hamas took, about the slaughter of people, about the fact that that should be absolutely intolerable, unacceptable to anyone anywhere, any country, any people.”
The U.S. has increased its presence in the Middle East by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/world/middleeast/patriot-israel-hamas-iran-gaza-eisenhower-pentagon.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deploying</a> missile systems to the region and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/22/israel-hamas-war-american-deploy-military-ships-troops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preparing</a> troops for deployment as Israel continues to face threats from Hamas on its border with the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah on its border to the north with Lebanon. U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq have also faced attacks from Islamic terror groups in the days following Hamas’ assault on Israel. 
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/defense-secretary-austin-increases-u-s-fire-power-in-middle-east-in-response-to-escalations-by-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Sunday that “escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region” have caused the U.S. military “to do what’s necessary to make sure that our troops are in a good position, and they’re protected, and that we have the ability to respond.”

Emmanuel Macron/Benjamin Netanyahu

Macron Calls For International Coalition To Go After Hamas, Says World Must Fight Terror Group ‘Without Mercy’

Conflicts

Islamic State (ISIS)

Radical Islamic Terror

U.S.

A man who was known to French authorities as a security risk went on a stabbing spree at a school on Friday, killing one and injuring two more, according to authorities.
The 20-year-old suspect was from Russia&#8217;s &#8220;mainly Muslim southern Caucasus region of Chechnya,&#8221; and he shouted &#8220;Allahu akbar!&#8221; during the attack, according to <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231013-teacher-stabbed-to-death-in-attack-at-french-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AFP</a>.
French President Emmanuel Macron <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-768124" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> in a statement that the attack was the result of &#8220;barbaric Islamist terrorism.&#8221;
The attack happened in the northern French city of Arras inside the Gambetta High School around 11 a.m. local time.
A teacher was killed, a security guard was critically wounded, and another teacher was stabbed who is reportedly in a less serious condition.
&#8220;The teacher who was killed had come forward to protect others and had without doubt saved many lives,&#8221; Macron added.
POLITICO Europe <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/one-dead-several-wounded-knife-attack-france-teacher-macron/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the suspect&#8217;s name was Mohammed Mogouchkov and that he was &#8220;under police surveillance before the attack and on the police register of radicalized individuals.&#8221;
One of the suspect&#8217;s brothers was arrested in 2019 &#8220;on suspicion of being involved in the planning of an attack that was thwarted and is in jail,&#8221; according to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-school-stabbing-arras-878f42a5df4a873ca7bd80a173cc9097" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Associated Press. Police <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-13/french-teacher-s-killing-was-terrorism-2nd-attack-thwarted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> another suspect on Friday near a different school in what was being described as a potential second attack.
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Martin Dousseau, a teacher who witnessed the attack, said in an interview with local media that the attacker &#8220;turned toward a staff member of the school, the head cook I believe and injured him, and stabbed him several times.&#8221;
“I was then chased by him, and asked me ‘are you a history teacher?’&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Luckily we were near a glass door of the school, and we locked ourselves inside.”
The Islamic terrorist attack comes after the former leader of Hamas urged Muslims worldwide to hold a &#8220;day of rage&#8221; on Friday.
French police banned pro-Palestinian protests in the country this week following the calls for a &#8220;day of rage&#8221; after Palestinian terrorists murdered more than 1,300 Israelis in terrorist attacks in Israel last weekend.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teacher-in-france-beheaded-after-showing-freedom-of-expression-class-caricature-images-of-prophet-muhammad">Teacher In France Beheaded After Showing Freedom Of Expression Class Caricature Images Of Prophet Muhammad</a>

Screenshot 2023-10-13 at 11.19.37 AM

‘Allahu Akbar’: Man Stabs Multiple Victims At School On Hamas’ ‘Day Of Rage;’ Second Attack Thwarted

Terrorism

A severed finger from a “living human being” was sent to the official residence of French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/emmanuel-macron-severed-finger-post-france-b1094115.html?utm_source=fark&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=link&amp;ICID=ref_fark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the London Evening Standard. 
On Monday, the amputated finger arrived at Elysee Palace in Paris, though no note was included in the package, the outlet notes. Police at the palace reportedly placed the finger in a refrigerator immediately for preservation to aid in attempts to identify the sender. France has been rocked with riots and protests stemming from a variety of issues throughout the year. 
“The finger was initially put in a fridge where the police put their snacks,” a source told the newspaper. “This was to make sure it was preserved and could be analyzed as quickly as possible.”
It was later revealed that the finger came from a living person, who had reportedly been identified, contacted, and received “full medical support.&#8221; The palace source said the identity of the person wasn’t going to be revealed to the public partly because of “medical confidentiality,” as the Evening Standard reports. 
“It’s not at all clear why this finger was sent to the president,” the source said. 
Officials opened an investigation into the incident on Monday. According to a <a href="https://www.valeursactuelles.com/faits-divers/info-va-lelysee-a-recu-un-courrier-contenant-un-doigt-humain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the French magazine Valeurs actuelles, which <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2023/07/13/emmanuel-macron-sent-a-severed-finger-from-living-human-in-the-post-19122510/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported</a> the news, the owner of the finger is the same person who sent the package and reportedly suffers from mental illness. 
Macron has faced serious tension and upheaval in the country this year, starting with nationwide protests in April against the nation’s pension reforms, which increased the age of retirement from 62 to 64. For more labor-intensive jobs, like sanitation work, the retirement age rose from 57-59. In defiance of the change, protestors in the country stormed the headquarters of corporations, vandalized government buildings, and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/03/24/1165759889/more-than-1-million-demonstrate-across-france-against-pension-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over a million</a> people demonstrated in the streets.
Then, in the wake of a June <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/six-days-of-destruction-a-recap-of-the-apocalyptic-riots-in-france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">police shooting</a> of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, who was of Moroccan and Algerian descent, mobs of rioters took to the streets, looting stores and committing other acts of violence. According to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/04/business/france-riots-businesses-cost/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>, 400 bank branches and 500 corner shops had been attacked by rioters. 
The riots, which have been dubbed “<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a8780bf6-5032-4abc-8462-f7f72dbc61ef" target="_blank" rel="noopener">France’s George Floyd Moment</a>,” have cost French businesses an estimated $1 billion. Law enforcement in the country has since taken control of the situation, detaining over 3,600 people, according to <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/thousands-of-teens-have-been-arrested-in-french-protests-though-violence-is-subsiding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PBS</a>. 
Last weekend, the French government <a href="https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/07/13/is-it-safe-to-travel-to-france-right-now-country-recovers-from-sixth-night-of-riots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> fireworks ahead of Friday’s Bastille Day celebrations, which <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/french-revolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commemorates</a> the storming of the Bastille in Paris on July 14, 1789, signaling the beginning of the French Revolution.

French President Emmanuel Macron

Severed Finger From ‘Living Human’ Mailed To French President: Report

Mobs of French rioters, largely made up of teenagers, took to the streets for nearly a week from the end of June through early July, wreaking havoc in response to “police violence” in what has been described as “<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a8780bf6-5032-4abc-8462-f7f72dbc61ef" target="_blank" rel="noopener">France’s George Floyd Moment</a>.” The ensuing riots <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-riots-cost-french-businesses-over-1-billion-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost</a> French businesses over $1 billion as numerous cities burned across the country. 
Rioters caused damage from Paris all the way to Roubaix in the north and Marseilles in the south. Over a six-day period, the country deployed some 45,000 police to fight the mobs and <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/thousands-of-teens-have-been-arrested-in-french-protests-though-violence-is-subsiding#:~:text=In%20all%2C%20more%20than%203%2C600,largely%20subsided%20in%20recent%20days." target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> more than 3,600 people, including over 1,500 minors, whom French President Emmanuel Macron accused of using social media apps to organize riots.
Here’s the timeline of how the riots started and intensified, and where France stands after six days of destruction.
<h2>June 27: Nahel Merzouk Killed</h2>
<div id="attachment_585331" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585331" class="size-large wp-image-585331" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1507227409-864x576.jpg" alt="NANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 1: A woman pays her respects at the site where Nahel M. died, shortly after his funeral, on July 1, 2023 in Nanterre, France. Nahel M., a French teenager of North African origin was shot dead by police on June 27th, the third fatal traffic stop shooting this year in France - causing nationwide unrest and clashes with police forces. (Photo by Sam Tarling/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1507227409-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1507227409-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1507227409-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1507227409.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Sam Tarling/Getty Images</div>
Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old of Moroccan and Algerian descent from a Paris suburb, was approached by officers on motorcycles at a red light for speeding in a bus lane. After being ordered to stop, Merzouk drove through the red light and committed multiple traffic violations. Heavy traffic forced him to come to a stop, and the officers got off their motorcycles, pointing their guns at the teen. When Merzouk again attempted to drive away from the police, one officer fatally shot him in the shoulder and chest.
The killing was captured on video and quickly spread on social media, causing outrage among many French who say the country is plagued by social inequities and institutional racism, but the government vehemently <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/paris-protest-against-police-violence-banned-after-riots-2023-07-08/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denies</a> any “systemic racism or discrimination by law enforcement.”
Police initially <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/28/france-police-shooting-nanterre-nael/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Merzouk was killed after officers’ lives were put in danger by the teen, according to the French newspaper Le Monde. However, Yassine Bouzrou, the lawyer representing Merzouk’s family, said the video footage contradicts the authorities’ version of events.
“Acting on behalf of the family of the deceased young man, we announce that we will file a complaint for intentional homicide against the policeman who fired the shot …” Bouzrou said.
Merzouk’s mother Mounia told France 5 television that she was angry at the officer who shot her son and accused him of targeting Merzouk because of his race.
&#8220;He saw a little, Arab-looking kid, he wanted to take his life,&#8221; she said. &#8220;A police officer cannot take his gun and fire at our children, take our children&#8217;s lives.&#8221;
<h2>June 27-28: Riots Begin </h2>
<div id="attachment_585329" style="width: 879px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585329" class="size-large wp-image-585329" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-869x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - Demonstrators run as French police officers use tear gas in Paris on July 2, 2023, five days after a 17-year-old man was killed by police in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris. French police arrested 1311 people nationwide during a fourth consecutive night of rioting over the killing of a teenager by police, the interior ministry said on July 1, 2023. France had deployed 45,000 officers overnight backed by light armoured vehicles and crack police units to quell the violence over the death of 17-year-old Nahel, killed during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb on June 27, 2023. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)" width="869" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-869x576.jpg 869w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-768x509.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-2048x1357.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 869px) 100vw, 869px" />LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Violent riots <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/28/france-police-shooting-nanterre-nael/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rocked</a> Paris and its surrounding suburbs immediately following Merzouk’s death. Rioters set fire to trash cans, cars, and buildings and clashed with police. During the first night of rioting, 24 police officers were injured and 31 people were arrested, according to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. In Viry-Châtillon, a suburb just east of Paris, a group of young people <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/world/europe/france-police-shooting-paris-nanterre.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set</a> a bus ablaze and rioters threw rocks and shot fireworks at police, while rioters in Mantes-la-Jolie, roughly 25 miles northwest of Paris, set a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/nanterre-paris-teenager-police-shooting-protests/story?id=100434360" target="_blank" rel="noopener">town hall</a> on fire.
<h2>June 29: Stores Looted, Arrests Ramp Up </h2>
<div id="attachment_585333" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585333" class="size-large wp-image-585333" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1376936379-768x576.jpg" alt="MONTIGNY LE BRETONNEUX, FRANCE - JULY 01: A damaged store is seen following fourth night of unrest triggered by the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, west of Paris, France on July 01, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1376936379-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1376936379-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1376936379.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</div>
The French government deployed 40,000 police across the country by Thursday, June 29, as mobs <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/29/france-police-shooting-second-night-of-unrest-as-protests-over-teenagers-death-spread" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looted</a> stores and continued rioting. In Paris, retail stores Nike and Zara were vandalized and looted leading to over a dozen arrests, Le Monde reported. More stores on one of the city’s famous shopping streets were damaged by rioters breaking windows, and in an eastern suburb of the city, hundreds of teens ravaged a pharmacy and a McDonald&#8217;s.
<h2>June 30 &#8211; July 2: Violence Intensifies </h2>
<div id="attachment_585343" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585343" class="size-large wp-image-585343" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1348630049-864x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - People look at burning tyres blocking a street in Bordeaux,, south-western France on late June 29, 2023, during riots and incidents nationwide after the killing of a 17-year-old boy by a police officer's gunshot following a refusal to comply in a western suburb of Paris. (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP) (Photo by PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1348630049-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1348630049-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1348630049-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1348630049.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Dozens of police officers in the city of Lyon were injured — some by gunfire — on Friday, June 30, forcing Mayor Grégory Doucet to ask for reinforcements, saying police in the city were “overwhelmed.” Other cities across the country faced “apocalyptic” scenes of rioting on Friday night.
“The results of the night can be summed up in one word: apocalyptic,” Rudy Manna, of the Bouches-du-Rhône police union, said, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/07/01/police-arrest-1000-rioters-nahel-funeral-france-violence/#:~:text=“The%20results%20of%20the%20night,of%20vehicles%20and%20trash%20cans.”" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> The Telegraph. “We had scenes of guerrillas in the center of Marseille, the northern districts were also affected by looting, burning of vehicles and trash cans,” Manna added.
Around 30 young people broke into a gun store in Marseille and stole at least four hunting rifles. One of the thieves was arrested with a rifle and police were forced to guard the store after the break-in, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66076332" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On July 1, while riots plagued Marseille, a 27-year-old man <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-07-04/man-dies-in-marseille-after-being-shot-at-time-of-riots-prosecutor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> after being hit in the chest by a “flash ball” projectile often used by riot police, according to prosecutors, but authorities did not determine who fired the projectile, and it was unclear if the man who died was partaking in the riots.
Violence continued the next day when, in the early morning hours of July 2, rioters drove a car into a suburban mayor’s home before setting it on fire while his wife and two daughters slept inside. Vincent Jeanbrun — the mayor of south Paris suburb, L’Haÿ-les-Roses — was at a town hall when rioters <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-mayors-home-attacked-by-rioters-with-flaming-car-while-wife-and-children-slept-inside" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacked</a> his home, but his wife and two young children were chased out by the mob. The local prosecutor called the attack on the mayor’s home and family an “assassination attempt.”
<h2>July 3-8: Riots End, But Protesters Defy Government Orders</h2>
<div id="attachment_585345" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585345" class="size-large wp-image-585345" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1517819896-864x576.jpg" alt="PARIS, FRANCE - 2023/07/08: A placard that says &quot;Justice for Adama, Nahel&quot; seen amidst the crowd during the protest against police violence.. Despite the police rejecting the demonstration in honor of Adama Traoré, a young black man who died in 2016 at the hands of a policeman, around two thousand demonstrators were present to denounce police violence. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1517819896-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1517819896-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1517819896-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1517819896.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images</div>
Arrests between Sunday night and Monday morning (July 3) dropped significantly as some demonstrators <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230704-protest-violence-in-france-falls-sharply-a-week-after-fatal-police-shooting-of-teen">called</a> for a “return to republican order.” While French authorities finally quelled much of the violence, demonstrators continued to take to the streets in Paris over the weekend, defying a government ban on the protest. Hundreds of people gathered to protest “police violence” on Saturday, leading to the arrest of two people, according to Reuters.
Demonstrations in other French cities such as Marseilles and Lille were also banned or ordered to be moved out of the city center. The Paris Police Department cited a “context of tensions&#8221; as the reason it moved to ban the protest in France’s capital. On Sunday, the French government also banned the sale, possession, and transport of all fireworks as the country prepares for its Bastille Day festivities on July 14, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66147920" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
President Macron sympathized with the anger surrounding the killing of Merzouk, but has rebuked rioters, pinning much of the blame for the destruction on young people being inspired and organized through social media apps such as TikTok.
“We need to think about how young people use social networks … when things get out of hand, we may have to regulate them or cut them off,” Macron <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/macron-floats-shutting-down-social-media-access-when-things-get-out-of-hand-after-riots-rock-france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “Above all, we shouldn’t do this in the heat of the moment and I’m pleased we didn’t have to.”
“I think it’s a real debate that we need to have in the cold light of day,” he added.
<div id="attachment_585347" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585347" class="size-large wp-image-585347" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1494938741-864x576.jpg" alt="France's President Emmanuel Macron addresses mayors of cities affected by the violent clashes that erupted after a teen was shot dead by police last week during a meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris on July 4, 2023. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1494938741-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1494938741-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1494938741-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1494938741.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images</div>
According to MEDEF, a French business association, about 200 businesses were looted alongside the destruction of 250 tobacco stores and 300 banks. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire promised those affected by the violent riots that the government would help them get back on their feet.
“If your store has been burned to the ground and a life’s work has been reduced to ashes, the state must be by your side,” he said. “We’ll do everything necessary so that economic activity can calmly pick up again in our country as quickly as possible.”

TOPSHOT-FRANCE-CRIME-POLICE-DEMO

Six Days Of Destruction: A Recap Of The ‘Apocalyptic’ Riots In France

Six Days Of Destruction: A Recap Of The 'Apocalyptic' Riots In France

Riots

French President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/totally-irresponsible-emmanuel-macron-attends-elton-john-concert-while-france-burns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmanuel Macron</a> said the government should consider shutting down young people’s access to social media after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-riots-cost-french-businesses-over-1-billion-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">riots</a> erupted across the country last weekend. 
Macron told more than 200 mayors during a meeting that France should look into controlling or cutting off social media access for young people “when things get out of hand,” The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/05/french-government-should-control-social-media-during-unrest-macron-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. His comments come as France faces violent rioting across the country after a 17-year-old Muslim was shot by a police officer during a traffic stop last week. Macron pinned some blame for the rioting on social media sites like TikTok being used to organize the mobs. 
“We need to think about how young people use social networks … when things get out of hand, we may have to regulate them or cut them off,” Macron said. “Above all, we shouldn’t do this in the heat of the moment and I’m pleased we didn’t have to.” 
“I think it’s a real debate that we need to have in the cold light of day,” he added. 
Politicians on both sides of the aisle criticized the prime minister&#8217;s suggestion, saying it would make France more like authoritarian regimes. 
“Cut social media? Like China, Iran, North Korea? Even if it’s a provocation to distract attention, it’s in very bad taste,” said Olivier Marleix, a member of the center-Right Les Républicains. 
The leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, also slammed Macron’s idea, tweeting, “The country of the rights of man and citizens cannot align itself with those great democracies of China, Russia and Iran.”
Over the weekend, riots were <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/frances-macron-hold-new-crisis-meeting-after-third-night-riots-2023-06-30/">reported</a> from Paris — where a dozen buses were burned and store windows were smashed along the Rue de Rivoli — all the way to Roubaix in the north and Marseille in the south — as well as Reims and Lyon. In Drancy, a Paris suburb, a shopping mall was burned; and in Marseilles, the country’s largest library was burned. The <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/facade-paris-2024-olympic-aquatic-centre-damaged-by-rioters-2023-06-30/#:~:text=PARIS%2C%20June%2030%20(Reuters),fire%2C%22%20SOLIDEO%20told%20Reuters.">headquarters</a> of the Paris 2024 Olympics in Seine-Saint-Denis was also set on fire.
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France deployed 45,000 police to counter the rioting, but that didn’t stop mobs from setting more than 800 fires throughout the night Saturday, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66079408">reported</a>. French businesses have reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-riots-cost-french-businesses-over-1-billion-report">lost</a> more than $1 billion since the rioting began.
About 3,500 people have been arrested after police shot teenager Nahel Merzouk. According to Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache, French police were attempting to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle Merzouk was driving, but he did not stop and drove through a red light. Police later caught up to the vehicle, then stuck in traffic, and told Merzouk to get out. As the car attempted to drive away, an officer shot the teen, Prache said.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Macron Floats Shutting Down Social Media Access ‘When Things Get Out Of Hand’ After Riots Rock France

Macron Floats Shutting Down Social Media Access 'When Things Get Out Of Hand' After Riots Rock France

Social Issues

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