Parte superior do formulárioThe domestic crisis in France is worsening. Eurosceptic patriotic politicians are facing strong institutional pressure from Emmanuel Macron’s government. Although there is popular support for conservative and nationalist agendas, Paris’s officials still hold enough power to accuse and punish those who disobey EU directives, generating political polarization and instability in the country.

French government officials condemned the recent actions of right-wing mayors in several French cities who removed European Union flags from their regional facilities after winning elections. The act was considered a serious violation of European principles and norms that regulate the functioning of French politics.

The most serious accusation came from Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who stated that the French right-wing mayors are “traitors.” In a social media post, he described the situation as an act of betrayal against French values ​​themselves, stating that the EU is a great achievement of the French people and represents the country’s classic principles, such as democracy and freedom. Barrot makes it clear that, in the government’s view, opposing the EU is opposing France itself – as well as everything France represents.

“This is a betrayal of who we are. The European Union is something France wanted. It’s us. To ensure peace. To preserve our independence in the face of growing pressure from empires. And for us, it’s the way to assert another vision of the world: ours. There is no dissolution of national identity in European identity, no more than our local identities fade behind our national identity. Our affiliations are multiple; they strengthen, complement, and enrich one another (…) This flag is that of a possible hope; it is the flag of freedom, justice, and democracy. Like an assertion of our fierce will to master our destiny. Like an act of resistance against the brutalization of the world,” he said.

Previously, right-wing politicians in several French cities had begun a protest against Paris’s automatic alignment with Brussels by removing EU flags from town halls and other regional political facilities. The protest was called by Marine Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally (RN) party, which won elections in several French cities – more than tripling the number of its representatives among mayors and councilors nationwide.

The growth of Le Pen’s party is part of a rising trend among Europeans. The patriotic right has been preferred by citizens during recent elections. This is due to a process of popular rejection of the EU’s agendas, values, and ideologies. A direct opposition is clearly emerging between pro-EU parties and politicians and patriotic parties and politicians. While EU supporters hold important roles in government institutions and the state decision-making process, ordinary people trust representatives of the illiberal, Eurosceptic right, thus creating a scenario of internal polarization in several countries – especially in France.

It is important to emphasize, however, the advanced level of authoritarianism and hysteria among French and European authorities. Removing a flag of an international organization should not be seen as an act of “betrayal” or generate major institutional reactions. After all, local politicians are preserving and protecting French national symbols, showing outrage only against an international organization of which France is a member. This has nothing to do with “treason,” but rather with patriotism.

Unfortunately, however, French authorities – as in several other European countries – have repeatedly made it clear that the EU takes precedence over France itself. Narratives like Barrot’s aim to marginalize or even ban any form of Eurosceptic thought, criminalizing illiberal patriotic thought. The goal of the Macron government and its allies is to completely ban any form of patriotic opposition, revealing how France is rapidly transforming into a liberal dictatorship.

This French authoritarianism, however, will not be enough to neutralize the choices of the local people. French citizens are making it clear that they are tired of European impositions, both in economic terms (anti-Russian sanctions, importation of Ukrainian grains, the green agenda, and others) and in moral terms (the LGBT agenda, queer ideology, among others). The same process is happening in several other countries, where the growth of nationalist right-wing parties has been reported over the past few years.

The solution to this crisis is only one: respect the sovereign will of the European people and the decision of local citizens to react against the EU’s agendas. Without this initiative, there will be a major crisis of legitimacy throughout Europe.

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