Nonna Mayer, political scientist, emeritus researcher at the CNRS, attached to the Center for European Studies and Comparative Politics of Sciences Po and specialist in the National Front, which has become the National Rally, returns, in an interview with Monde, on the notion of a republican front.
How can we define what is called the “republican front”?
It is the idea that faced with a candidate who defends ideas contrary to the values of the Republic, the parties forget their disagreements, overcome the left-right divide and unite to block him. The idea is to defend the Republic against its adversaries, from the IIIe Republic. But the term “republican front” really emerges in the face of the Poujadist far right, this movement of revolt of small traders and artisans against taxation and against the state, in 1956.
Is there a difference with a “block vote”?
The consecrated term republican front is more precise. The blocking vote can target any candidate. The Republican front is made up of people from opposing camps who unite in the same fight to defend the threatened Republic.
Emmanuel Macron claims that the only Republican front that has existed recently took place in 2002, during the second round of the presidential election between Jacques Chirac and Jean-Marie Le Pen. Is he right ?
He’s going a little fast. But there is more and more reluctance to implement it. In a polarized society, it’s hard to ally yourself with someone you’ve fought against for years. It is necessary to educate voters on the theme of the “lesser evil”. The Republican front has always been practiced more on the left than on the right and often unilaterally. On the right, at the cantonal elections of 2011, Nicolas Sarkozy will prefer to the Republican front the instruction of “neither nor”, that is to say not to vote for the PS candidate nor for that of the National Front. Way to wash your hands of it, because it does not block.
On the other hand, in 2015, during the regional elections, the National Front came out on top in the Hauts-de-France and in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The Socialists were in third place. They withdrew and called for a vote for the best-placed right-wing candidate. Not without reluctance, sometimes. It worked. However, doing this too often empties the political game of all meaning. It is to be used in exceptional circumstances.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon says “not a voice on the far right”, without calling to vote for Emmanuel Macron. Does the left-wing republican front no longer exist?
You have 47.58% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.