In May 1941, Rudolf Hess, zealous ideologist of Nazism, made a decision as daring as they are insane. Secretly, he flies away alone aboard a Messerschmitt BF 110 towards Scotland. His goal? Meet the Duke of Hamilton and negotiate a separate peace between Germany and the United Kingdom, convinced that London would seize this unexpected opportunity. Inflamed by the German victories and the hyperbolic optimism that they inspired by him, the one Hitler had appointed as his “dolphin” in 1933, made a fatal error which would lead him to the prison. Blinded by his enthusiasm, he completely messes the situation.
This political naivety which relies on a victory acquired in advance strangely recalls the intoxication of certain French observers and political actors after the election of Donald Trump in 2024. This is rather on CNews, Europe 1 or in the pages of JDD that elsewhere, but the victory of the 47th president of the United States and its brutal political entrance to 2025 completely disinhatious some, to the point that they believe urgent to show in the open what they concealed yesterday. We do not hesitate to consider ourselves as the French Trump such as Eric Zemmour, for example…
Who will be the French Trump?
On numerous occasions, Cyril Hanouna, who seems to consider a political career, does not be reluctant to imagine walking in the electoral steps of the American president. He certainly did not cross the Channel in Messerschmitt such as the Reichsminister But he assured, for a time, that he was going to cross the Atlantic to meet in February Trump and Musk – whom he admires – in Mar -A -Lago … before giving up for smoking reasons (the most likely being that it was simply not invited).
The role of the French Donald Trump will be fiercely disputed because Philippe de Villiers announces that if he becomes President of the Republic, Hanouna would be his JD Vance! Anyway, the American tidal wave is clearly rising to the head of some. Until recently the Poutinophiles, for example, whether they hide at RN or LFI, have been discreet since the invasion of Ukraine but here are new, all fire, claiming to defend only peace while their geopolitical ulterior motives sparkle in a thousand lights. This opportune pacifism badly conceals their servility in the face of the Russian or American master: curious enough for those, among them, who claim to be “patriots”.
Patriotic start
They commit, in their anticipation enthusiasm, an error of appreciation. Believing to be able to postpone by simple translation of Trump’s electoral victory over French territory, they seem to completely ignore that the arrogance of the character, his intimidation towards Europe, and specifically of France, will undoubtedly cause a phenomenon that all psychosociologists know well: when a group is threatened physically or symbolically, this solidates the members of the in-group against the members of Out-Group. This is what Muzafer Sherif showed, for example, in a book published in 1966, Group conflict and co-operation. He points out that when a group perceives a threat, it strengthens its internal cohesion and increases its hostility towards external groups. This reality of social life has many times have been confirmed experimentally as well as by banal observation of historical facts. To name a one: the patriotic start after the September 11 attacks in the United States is a patent expression. This sociological banality escapes some, everything in their enthusiasm for Trump’s victory who, they think, could prophesy their own destiny.
Part of the voters of the national rally, in particular, may not appreciate an ideological pact at all hastily passed with Trump, Musk and the others because characters can easily go from a friendly figure to a hostile figure if it threatens the national interests and symbols. Before hastily singing the attitudes of a democratic tyrant, they may be advised to meditate on the naivety of Rudolph Hess who spent the rest of his life in prison, before committing suicide in his cell at the age of 93.
Gérald Bronner is a sociologist and professor at the Sorbonne University.
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