One week before the second round of the presidential election, the leaders of the two main French unions, the CGT and the CFDT, have signed a joint column in the Sunday newspaper to call for a blockade against Marine Le Pen.
Philippe Martinez, the general secretary of the CGT and Lawrence Bergerits counterpart the CFDT, believe that Marine Le Pen and his party, the National Rally (RN), represent a danger to democracy and workers’ rights. An unusual step on the part of the enemy brothers of French unionism.
The two unions oppose each other throughout the year in social debates and they also avoid entering the political arena, but this time, Philippe Martinez and Laurent Berger are making common cause. Fearful” the disaster scenario “, of a victory of Marine Le Pen, they call in a platform co-signed in the Sunday newspaper not to him” entrust the keys to democracy “.
The RN, a threat to the union counter-power
For the two main French trade union leaders, the National Rally is ” a danger to the fundamental rights of citizens and workers “, and ” cannot be considered the Republican parties “. Philippe Martinez and Laurent Berger also point to the threat that Marine Le Pen represents for the union counter-power, pointing to her desire to weaken the unions, in particular, they say, by promoting the emergence of corporations.
If the two men overcome their rivalry in this way, it is because they are aware that the Le Pen vote is also progressing among their supporters. Thus, 22% of people close to the CGT voted for Marine Le Pen in the first round of the presidential election while only 15% did so in 2017.
If the two men do not give any voting instructions, on the other hand, Laurent Berger called on him to vote for Emmanuel Macron.
►To read: Presidential: what economic programs for the candidates in the second round?