This 200th edition of Fédéchoses coincides with the launch of the European election campaign, which also marks 50 years of direct universal suffrage. With the planets aligned in such a way, it’s impossible not to mention the subject in our pages !
Unfortunately however, what should be the most important election in Europe this mid-decade remains (as ever) confined to the interests of a circle of insiders and activists. As recently as early April, almost one in two French people admitted that they were not interested in the European elections. Nevertheless, many aspects of what is at stake from 06 to 09 June are decisive.
This European election has the misfortune to fall in the same year as the American elections, reinforcing one of the most absurd paradoxes of the European political sphere : undeniable media interest in what is happening on the other side of the Atlantic, even though European citizens have no voice in it. Of course, a return of Donald Trump to the White House would have serious consequences, particularly for the aid given to Ukraine in its war against Russia for the last two years.
That’s actually the main thing that will change this election : Ukraine’s struggle for survival in the face of the imperialist delusions of a decadent power. Numerous articles in this edition remind us of the importance of a victory and a European destiny for Ukraine. While the EU’s eastern neighbourhood is at war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been escalating since last October. It is also impossible for us to look the other way, and our publications in this issue outline a peaceful institutional outcome, whether in the form of a two-state solution, or a purely federal one, as the Israeli historian Schlomo Sand expresses.
The main issue in the 2019 European elections was the climate crisis. While it may no longer feature as prominently in the debates as it once did, it is no less important, far from it. Once again, we wanted to highlight the existential importance of the fight against climate change, all within a global federal framework.
All this shows that the European elections are shrouded in "uncertainty", to use the words of Jo Leinen, author of an article in this 200th edition. While the far right is leading in France, the EPP and the Social Democrats are once again dominating the polls at European level. In an attempt not to give too much weight to this electoral Manicheism, we have given the floor to some of the heads of the French lists (EELV, LFI and Volt) on their vision of Europe.
You can now enjoy this Fédéchoses, so that you can cast an informed vote on 09 June. We wish you a happy reading !