France could face mass unrest and violence linked to snap parliamentary elections in which the far right is poised to win the largest share of the vote, two ministers in President Emmanuel Macron's centrist government said today, Reuters quoted.
The nationalist, anti-immigrant "National Assembly" of Marine Le Pen took first place in the European Parliament elections two weeks ago, prompting Macron to dissolve parliament and call an election less than a month before the start of the Paris Olympics starting on July 26.
Today, the interior and finance ministers expressed fears that the success of the far right and the polarization of French politics and society could lead to an increase in civil unrest.
"I fear for order, for relations between citizens, for tranquility, for civil peace,", said Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire to radio "France Info". "I don't see a "National Assembly" as a factor of stability and peace. I see it as a factor for disorder and violence," he clarified.
The Chairman of the "National Assembly" Jordan Bardela, who could become prime minister if his party wins the election and Macron remains president under a power-sharing arrangement, disputed at a news conference that Le Pen's formation could be a factor in the unrest.
Sociological studies indicate that the "National Assembly" receives the most support before the first round of voting on June 30, with the newly formed left-wing coalition "New Popular Front" in second place, and Macron's centrist group "Together" in third. The runoff election will be held on July 7.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanen warned of the possibility of "extremely high tension". He told Air Tel radio that this is a problem not only for the election period, but also for the fall return to work after the summer vacation in August.
"National Assembly", whose predecessor "National Front" long considered a pariah in French politics because of the openly anti-Semitic views of its founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, is trying hard to clean up its image and portray itself in a more moderate light under the leadership of his daughter Marine Le Pen, Reuters noted.
Opponents of the formation, however, say that their concerns are not only related to the party itself, but also to the attitude of some of its more extreme supporters.
Openly gay French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who is campaigning for Macron's centrist camp, said last week he feared xenophobes from all walks of life would feel empowered by the National Assembly victory.
The prime minister cited media reports that a suspect in a homophobic attack had told police he was looking forward to the far-right victory because it would make it easier to attack homosexuals.
"You see a form of hatred that will be unleashed, will expand in a sense,", Attal told journalists.
Britain experienced a sudden surge in hate crimes against Poles, Muslims and other minority communities after a majority of citizens voted to leave the European Union in a 2016 referendum, driven in part by a desire to limit immigration.
France itself has a history of riots and violent street protests rooted in social division. Last summer, the fatal police shooting of an Algerian teenager sparked nationwide unrest that lasted several days.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also commented on the rise of the far right in France during a visit to Paris, saying that European history shows that nationalism is not a solution to problems. The German minister specified that he would be happier if the liberal forces won the upcoming vote.
"I can say from my side and from Germany's point of view that nationalism has never been a solution to problems. This is a lesson from European history that cannot be ignored," Pistorius said at a joint press conference with his French and Polish counterpart.
"That is why I would be happy if a real result was achieved that would strengthen democratic, free and pro-European forces, and thus the future of Europe,", he said during the meeting.