It is a strategy set aside for two years, but which has reappeared since the start of the legislative term: the choice, on the part of La France insoumise (LFI), of conflictuality. For the past month, the “rebellious” deputies have in fact embodied a “firm opposition” to the executive. They keep repeating their distrust of the government, sometimes in very harsh terms, as did Mathilde Panot, the president of the LFI group in the National Assembly, during the presentation of the motion of censure. carried by elected leftists.
This is also reflected in the constant heckling in the Chamber, the general tone of the speeches, the repeated “clash” – especially with the extreme right – but also in the drafting of certain amendments which make people cringe even in the left rows. This is the case with the one who proposed to rename the “Macron bonus” in “smoke bonus”. A choice, want to believe the “rebellious”, which could be paying in the event of dissolution, since the National Rally (RN) has, for its part, chosen to be in a kind of accompanying opposition. This was seen during the examination of the purchasing power bill: the deputies of the RN can make a lot of noise during the debates, but they vote for the bulk of the government’s measures.
The “rebellious” are convinced that the opposite must be done. They must be the most resolute opponents against Emmanuel Macron and Elisabeth Borne. Cleave everywhere, all the time. This strategy is particularly inspired by the work of the Belgian post-Marxist philosopher Chantal Mouffe, theoretician of left-wing populism, who believes, in an interview with the online opinion media The wind picks up in 2019, which “Politics and conflict are inseparable: if there is politics, there is conflict”. This conflict is necessary to establish a border between a “us” and a “them”, supposed to represent the adversaries. In this case: the presidential majority and the extreme right.
“Besiege” opponents
To hope to emerge victorious from this battle, the mélenchonistes opt for a “positional warfare”, according to the expression of the Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937). That is “a siege war, tight, difficult, which requires exceptional qualities of patience and inventiveness”. It is therefore necessary to “besiege” the adversaries by all possible means, to give them no respite: in the debates at the Assembly, but also on social networks and in the street – Jean-Luc Mélenchon thus called for a “great march against the high cost of living” in September.
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