Macron: the far-right and far-left are pushing society to a “civil war”

French President Emmanuel Macron has criticized the country’s far-right and far-left political parties, saying that their rhetoric threatens to deepen divisions in society and lead to a “civil war.” He said this on air on Monday, according to BFMTV.

Macron harshly criticized the right-wing populist National Rally and the far-left France Insoumise (Unsubmissive), as well as their supporters. 

The French president pointed out that the far-right places significant emphasis on religion and ethnicity, thus creating divisions and “pushing for civil war.” 

Emmanuel Macron stated in the “Génération Do It Yourself” podcast that the far-right’s response to insecurity, which refers to people based on their religion or origin, divides people and pushes for civil war.

Speaking about “France Insoumise,” Macron said that they offer a form of “communitarianism.”

“La France Insoumise proposes a form of communitarianism… a bit electoral, but that’s also the civil war behind it, because it’s first of all referring people exclusively to their belonging, religion, or community.”

“I think this is a danger. Both the National Rally and the France Insoumise provide a response to genuine problems, genuine anger, and genuine anxiety within an individual. But I think they react badly, multiplying conflict and civil war,” Macron said.

“Political parties on the extreme end of the spectrum may tempt us when things are bad and daily life is difficult, offering quicker solutions. However, rejecting the other party is not the solution.”

“We must be more decisive and stronger in all those issues where the Republic is underperforming in security and responsibility before the law in the next 2-3 years,” Macron said, adding that equal opportunities are also important.

In the previous days, Macron also urged the French not to vote “for extremes.” There have also been calls by French sports and cinema celebrities not to vote for the far-right. Political experts also pointed to the pro-Russian views expressed in the past by Marin Le Pen and her party fellows.

As we reported, polls predict a victory for the National Rally and their allies, but it is unknown whether they will receive an absolute majority in the National Assembly.