French party La France Insoumise (LFI) promised at its first EU election rally on Saturday to be the only party that could reliably ensure “peace” among “warmongers” in Europe.
The wars in Ukraine and Gaza were mentioned in almost every speech and roundtable at Saturday’s rally, as those were key campaign issues ahead of the EU vote in June. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the founder of the LFI, stated:
There is no military way out of the war in Ukraine. If you don’t want war, vote [for us].
Mélencon warned against “an incapable Europe,” which he claimed was responsible for “amplifying” the climate crisis and causing a “permanent economic crisis.” He also explained that the EU elections were nothing more than an interim vote before the country’s presidential election in 2027.
The former MP also spoke sharply about Europe’s desire to expand its arms and ammunition production capabilities.
“There can be no other outcome than one in which there are no winners and losers.”
Mélencon’s message was also widely supported by the party’s leading candidate in the EU elections, Manon Aubry, who declared:
Against tyrants and warmongers, we will remain the camp of peace and international law.
Party leaders hope the “peace” narrative will propel their popularity, as LFI is stuck at 7 per cent, according to a large-scale Ipsos poll released last week. For the same reason, the party is keen to position itself as the only real defender of the Palestinian cause.
LFI also added Rima Hassan, a legal expert and well-known Palestinian activist, to the party’s electoral list earlier this month in order to deliver another strong message.
Discussing economic and social issues, Aubry emphasised that action in the European Parliament should include abolishing the “profit margins of agri-food companies that have gorged themselves, [and] putting an end to the cost of living crisis.”
She also reiterated her opposition to unfair competition and “all-competition” ideology just days after MEPs adopted a new free trade agreement with Chile at the end of February.
Aubry confirmed her party’s absolute refusal to integrate Ukraine, an official candidate for EU membership from June 2022, into the bloc “without fiscal, social and environmental harmonisation.”
