Lives destroyed as French state orders flood of house arrests before Olympics

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 © Eric Broncard / Hans Lucas via AFP © Eric Broncard / Hans Lucas via AFP

As the Paris Olympic Games get closer – the opening ceremony is on July 26th - France's Ministry of the Interior has been stepping up at an unprecedented rate the number of administrative control and surveillance measures on those they see as potential security threats. People's jobs and even their homes are under threat as house arrest orders are placed on individuals who have never been in trouble with the law before – or not for many years. Jérôme Hourdeaux reports.

Video rushes expose BFMTV manipulation in Sarkozy-Libya witness tampering case

A screenshot from the rushes of the video recording in Beirut of Ziad Takieddine's retraction, October 23rd 2020. © Document Mediapart A screenshot from the rushes of the video recording in Beirut of Ziad Takieddine's retraction, October 23rd 2020. © Document Mediapart

Mediapart has obtained the rushes, hitherto unseen in public, of a video interview with Ziad Takieddine, a key witness in the probe into the alleged Libyan funding of Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential election campaign, in which the Franco-Lebanese business intermediary retracted his earlier testimony detailing how Sarkozy received the cash sums from Tripoli. The video was broadcast as an edited 32-second “exclusive” in November 2020 by French rolling news channel BFMTV, before Takieddine, who had been promised payment, finally disowned his retraction and an investigation into “witness tampering” was launched. The unedited video rushes, published in this report, reveal the extent of the manipulation by BFMTV in operation dubbed “Save Sarko”. Fabrice Arfi, Karl Laske and Antton Rouget report.

How French channel BFMTV connived with Sarkozy over Libyan funding case

 © Photo illustration Sébastien Calvet / Mediapart avec AFP et Abaca © Photo illustration Sébastien Calvet / Mediapart avec AFP et Abaca

In November 2020, a key witness in the French judicial investigation into alleged funding by the Gaddafi regime of former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign publicly retracted his testimony. French-Lebanese business intermediary Ziad Takieddine had previously detailed how he brought suitcases of cash from Tripoli to Paris for Sarkozy’s campaign. A separate judicial investigation into “witness tampering” subsequently established that Takieddine had been promised several million euros to retract his allegations. Mediapart can now reveal how, illustrated by a remarkable exchange of phone text messages, the management of France’s rolling news channel BFMTV, which broadcast a video of Takieddine’s retraction, connived with the attempt to undermine the Libyan funding probe. Fabrice Arfi, Karl Laske and Antton Rouget report.

How to face up to a far-right government, by those who have already

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Clockwise from top-left: Adam Shatz, Lisa Fithian, Vladimír Šnídl, Marcio Abreu, Marina Franco, Roberto Saviano, and Wojciech Cieśla. © Photomontage Mediapart Clockwise from top-left: Adam Shatz, Lisa Fithian, Vladimír Šnídl, Marcio Abreu, Marina Franco, Roberto Saviano, and Wojciech Cieśla. © Photomontage Mediapart

Contrary to many predictions, France’s far-right Rassemblement National party failed to win an absolute majority in parliament in the elections that concluded last weekend. But it nevertheless garnered more votes than any other party or alliance, and numerous observers warn that its support is likely to grow stronger ahead of presidential elections due in 2027. Amid what might prove simply a respite, Mediapart turned to political activists, writers, academics and journalists who live, or have lived, under far-right and populist governments, to hear their views on the situation in France, and which included the advice to prepare for the worst now. Justine Brabant reports.

When the Macron camp lost everything except smugness

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Stéphane Séjourné, outgoing foreign affairs minister and secretary general of Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, speaking after the final round of voting on July 7th. © Photo Jacques Witt / Sipa Stéphane Séjourné, outgoing foreign affairs minister and secretary general of Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, speaking after the final round of voting on July 7th. © Photo Jacques Witt / Sipa

Emmanuel Macron’s dissolution of parliament destroyed his centre-right party’s previous relative majority, and in the ensuing elections it was overtaken by the broad coalition of leftwing parties, the Nouveau Front Populaire, which now represents the largest bloc in the National Assembly. But despite the credibility the French president has lost with his roll of the dice, and despite the unpopularity of his Renaissance party as expressed in the urns, many among the Macron camp still apparently believe they have the upper hand in French politics, writes Mediapart political affairs correspondent Ellen Salvi in this op-ed article. As difficult negotiations began this week to form a new government, the depleted Macronists have even been lecturing opponents, and notably the Left, on their conditions for supposedly sharing power.

French elections 2024: live coverage of crucial final round

France went to the polls on Sunday in the second and final round of crucial parliamentary elections to elect the members of the French lower house, the National Assembly. The snap elections were called by centre-right President Emmanuel Macron one month ago after the far-right’s resounding victory in France in the voting in European Parliament elections. Macron’s move, in which he hoped to defeat the far-right and diminish his opponents on both the Left and Right, was a gamble that threw the country into turmoil, with the far-right tipped to win an absolute majority after the second round. But after a knife-edge week, it was not to be. Follow the events on Sunday in our live coverage of results and reactions as they came in through the evening, and which saw an alliance of the Left win the day. Reporting by Michael Streeter and Graham Tearse.

The stand against the far-right, in tune with our conscience

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A protest against the far-right in Toulouse, south-west France, following the first round of voting in parliamentary elections. © Alain Pitton / NurPhoto via AFP A protest against the far-right in Toulouse, south-west France, following the first round of voting in parliamentary elections. © Alain Pitton / NurPhoto via AFP

The far-right Rassemblement National party hopes to win an absolute majority after the second round of voting on Sunday in France’s parliamentary elections. In this op-ed article, Mediapart’s publishing editor Carine Fouteau examines what is at stake behind Sunday’s poll, and calls on all those still hesitating over their choice at the urns to urgently examine their conscience and prevent the far-right from reaching power.

French elections: unbridled bigotry no handicap for far-right candidates

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A Rassemblement National election campaign poster in Saint-Orens-de-Gameville, south-west France. © Pat Batard / Hans Lucas via AFP A Rassemblement National election campaign poster in Saint-Orens-de-Gameville, south-west France. © Pat Batard / Hans Lucas via AFP

The landslide of votes cast for the far-right Rassemblement National party in the first round of France’s parliamentary elections on Sunday have put it on course to gain a possible absolute majority in the National Assembly after next Sunday’s final, second-round vote. Among the far-right candidates whose high scores last Sunday leave them likely to be elected to parliament next weekend are individuals who take to social media with openly racist, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and homophobic comments. Antton Rouget reports.      

French parliamentary elections: live coverage of results and reactions

 © Photo Richard Bouhet / AFP © Photo Richard Bouhet / AFP

France went to the polls this Sunday for the first round of crunch parliamentary elections to elect the 577 members of the next National Assembly. This unscheduled snap election has taken place as a result of President Emmanuel Macron's unexpected decision on June 9th to dissolve the Assembly. But that gamble looks as if it has backfired spectacularly and dramatically. Various projections after today's first round of voting suggest that the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) could pick up around 260 to 280 seats or more in next week's decisive second round vote. If so, there is a chance that France could get its first far-right government since 1945; they need 289 for a majority. The new leftwing alliance Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) is also expected to do well, and may pick up 160 seats. But the president's centre-right coalition looks set to be heavily defeated. With the centre-right and Left tonight pledging to block the RN's path to power, the likely outcomes look set to be either a narrow RN majority or, more probably, a hung Parliament with the RN as the single biggest party. Follow our live coverage of the first-round results and reactions as they came in through the evening. Reporting by Graham Tearse and Michael Streeter.

Election day analysis: France on verge of political upheaval

 © Photo illustration Sébastien Calvet / Mediapart © Photo illustration Sébastien Calvet / Mediapart

A collapse in support for the centre-right camp of President Emmanuel Macron, a stronger leftwing alliance and a potentially game-changing breakthrough by the far-right Rassemblement National ... as voters head for the ballot box today for the first round of what is both an uncertain and an historic parliamentary election, Mediapart examines what is at stake for the main political groups taking part. Mathieu Dejean, Pauline Graulle, Youmni Kezzouf, Ilyes Ramdani and Ellen Salvi report.

Cash for influence: the Moscow money paid to key Euro MP ally of Marine Le Pen

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Marine Le Pen with MEP Jean-Luc Schaffhause. © Photo illustration Sébastien Calvet / Mediapart avec AFP Marine Le Pen with MEP Jean-Luc Schaffhause. © Photo illustration Sébastien Calvet / Mediapart avec AFP

Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, the Member of the European Parliament who negotiated a Russian loan for France's far-right Rassemblement National, runs a foundation which received hundreds of thousands of euros in return for speeches in the Parliament that were favourable to Moscow, according to emails seen by Mediapart. When questioned about this Marine Le Pen, who was president of the party at the time of the Russian loan, did not respond. Marine Turchi reports.

'Deportation' of activists from New Caledonia to mainland France throws fuel on separatist fire

By Gilles Caprais
An independence activist in the Vallée du Tir on New Caledonia, June 20th 2024. © Photo Gilles Caprais pour Mediapart An independence activist in the Vallée du Tir on New Caledonia, June 20th 2024. © Photo Gilles Caprais pour Mediapart

The transfer of seven New Caledonian pro-independence activists to prisons in mainland France following the recent unrest has fuelled a new wave of violence in the French Pacific territory since Saturday. The group behind the recent protests is now making the return of these “political prisoners” a new condition for peace on the troubled archipelago. Gilles Caprais reports from New Caledonia's capital Nouméa.

At the heart of the far right: a hatred of equality

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Paris, November 5th 2022. © Photo Alain Jocard / AFP Paris, November 5th 2022. © Photo Alain Jocard / AFP

With just days to go before the first round of voting in France's Parliamentary elections, there is a real danger that Rassemblement National could form the next French government. Victory for the far right would not simply lead to a worsening of the conservative policies that are already being pursued in France, writes Mediapart co-founder Edwy Plenel in this op-ed article. It would mark an historic break with the past, he argues, by handing the far right their revenge over opponents who support equality and the universality of human rights.

New Popular Front accentuates the positive in bid to reach wider French electorate

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 © Photo Eric Tschaen / REA © Photo Eric Tschaen / REA

The hastily-formed New Popular Front (NFP), which combines the Left and the Greens, is having to work on plans  to broaden its electoral support beyond its own base in order to win the Parliamentary elections, the first round of which takes place on Sunday June 30th. Despite a toxic debate on anti-Semitism and the false equivalence opponents are making between the leftwing alliance and the far-right Rassemblement National, key figures in the NFP are working hard on a strategy they believe can bring them success in the election's decisive second round on July 7th. Part of this approach is to emphasise the wide-reaching benefits across society of their own manifesto pledges rather than just warning about the dangers posed by the far right. Mathieu Dejean reports.

A year after Nahel was shot dead by French police officer: how local community views the elections

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There was a deep contrast between the mood of the campaign launch in Nanterre and the mood on the nearby Pablo Picasso estate. © Photo Marie Magnin pour Mediapart There was a deep contrast between the mood of the campaign launch in Nanterre and the mood on the nearby Pablo Picasso estate. © Photo Marie Magnin pour Mediapart

On June 27th 2023 17-year-old Nahel was shot dead by a police officer on the streets of Nanterre in the western suburb of Paris, sparking days of protests and unrest in many areas. A year later Mediapart has returned to Nanterre's Pablo-Picasso housing estate where Nahel and his family lived. For many in this traditionally left-voting area the snap election just called by President Emmanuel Macron seems a distant issue compared with the problems of everyday life. Yet it is the residents of this estate whom Sabrina Sebaihi, the candidate for leftwing alliance the New Popular Front, is trying to convince to get out and vote over two rounds on June 30th and July 7th. Mathilde Goanec reports.