They never stop stirring passions: the casseroles, a form of protest against the pension reform, have become unavoidable in recent days. As usual, Emmanuel Macron put his feet in the dish by saying that he did not see it as a “tremendous sign of democratic life”. Basically, it’s hard to prove him wrong. For the philosopher Monique Canto-Sperber, this mode of action, already used by the Republican opposition under the July Monarchy (1830-1848), is the sign of an “impoverishment of public debate: it is reduced to saying ” We want to be heard”, but it does not offer any content and above all it does not allow dialogue since it prevents the other from speaking”. In the columns of Figarothe essayist Maxime Tandonnet even affirms, not without bombast: “The revolt of the saucepans, this uproar aimed at the leaders the leaders in power, does not deserve irony or sufficiency. It has a meaning that expresses the depth and gravity of the democratic fracture between the democratic class and the Nation”.
“Verbal Inflation”
But perhaps the most disturbing are the accusations of “fascism” towards these protesters made by members or relatives of the majority, such as former minister Benjamin Griveaux, on Twitter, at the sight of demonstrators forcing Pap Ndiaye to wait before getting off his train, Gare de Lyon. The comparison surprises specialists on the subject. “It’s as delusional as saying that Emmanuel Macron is a dictator, annoys Marc Lazar, historian and political sociologist, specialist in the question. The fascists publicly humiliated their opponents with castor oil , hit them with truncheons, set fire to the premises of the Communist Party…” Marie-Anne Matard Bonucci, another expert on fascism, adds: “The pots are part of a repertoire of protest action, it is not a question of reducing permanently silence elected officials or public officials”. Remarks that echo the accusation of fascism repeatedly attached to the National Rally by some of its opponents. Marc Lazar sees in this “trivialization” of the term, which has become a “portmanteau word”, the sign of a lack of culture. As if the words had been emptied of their meaning… A “verbal inflation” which also worries Monique Canto-Sperber: “In politics, nothing is all white or all black. However, the nuances have disappeared.”
Voltage rise
Is the casserole dish compatible with democracy? Of course, this mobilizes affects and passions, and conflictuality is normal, even salutary. Editor at Passés Composites and columnist, Arthur Chevallier tempers: “There is a de facto inequality in the relationship and the dialogue between a head of state and a normal citizen. Pans are a form of moderation of anger. is obviously painful for the ministers and the Head of State, but democracy is not a dialogue by the fireside… The casserole is very demonstrative, but one cannot say that it is not democratic. there is no attack on physical integrity”. Still, in the case of Pap Ndiaye, the limit between protest and physical intimidation seems to have been crossed… This type of action “raises political tension a notch, the massive demonstrations having had no effect”, notes Marie-Anne Matard-Bonucci.
At stake: the future of liberal democracies. According to Monique Canto-Sperber, “by dint of showing that they no longer work effectively, with laws adopted but no longer considered legitimate, the latter are trampling on their own values”. But such troubles are not unprecedented in our history. For Arthur Chevallier, nothing new under the sun. “Antagonisms are part of the life of a society, and there, we are in high intensity.” But in his eyes, “it could be worse”. A bit provocative, this history specialist is surprised, on the contrary, by “the extraordinary docility of the people” since the Covid. The situation reminded him of the impeded reforms of Louis XVI in the 1780s, which the administration did not materialize. Without swearing that a new 1789 is on the horizon…