Growing support for right political formations may have been triggered by Jihadists fear as French people grapples with hung verdict.
Pummy Pandita
Elections are much more than politics for a large number of French citizens. They are fighting to keep their traditions, values and way of life safe from what they see to be an existential threat. In the wake of recent legislative assembly elections, enhanced levels of anxiety over radical Islamists influencing French polls is being openly debated. Regaining French identity and culture is something that many voters deeply desire.
Violent events that have occurred in near past are frequently cited to drive home the point on radical Islamists that today have overwhelming say on who runs the government in Paris or what happens in the French society. Many French people have a strong desire to preserve and restore their cultural identity. Let’s examine concerns surrounding radical Islamism, look at the most recent polls that support these opinions and highlight a few prominent incidents of attacks by Islamist extremists in France.
Rise of Radical Islamism
French polls have consistently shown that radical Islamism is a concern for sizable section of French populace. As per recent surveys, a significant segment of French people have grown more cautious towards extreme Islamism. An IFOP (Institut français d’opinion publique) study done in 2024 indicates that almost 65 per cent French people think radical Islamism poses a serious threat to national security. Concern over impact of Islamist doctrine on French culture and societal norms was also voiced by 58 per cent respondents.
Reclaim Cultural Identity
Cultural nationalism (Hutchinson 2013) is not a movement limited to stateless countries. It was crucial in defining primary principles of France’s proactive cultural politics during a period of significant worldwide shifts. This legacy has shifted to present century’s identity politics.[1]
A strong desire among French citizens is to reclaim and preserve their cultural identity which they believe is under assault and runs parallel to the dread of radical Islamism. The belief that extreme Islamist ideas contradict French Republic values like gender equality, secularism (laïcité), freedom of speech, role of religion in public life and immigrant assimilation is the underlying sentiment. According to IFOP 2024 poll, 72 per cent participants are in favour of taking steps to protect French cultural traditions and values from alleged encroachment.
Islamist Assaults and Crimes:
- Charlie Hebdo Attack (2015): One of the most well-known incidents was the attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on January 7, 2015 where two Islamist gunmen (two brothers, Saïd and Chérif Kouachi) killed 12 people in retaliation to the magazine’s publication of cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad.
- Bataclan Attack (2015): A series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015 including a mass shooting at Bataclan theatre during a concert resulted in death of 130 people. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for these attacks.
- Nice Truck Attack (2016): Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, later identified as radical Islamist drove a truck into the crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice on July 14, 2016 killing 86 people and injuring 458 others. ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack.
- Strasbourg Christmas Market Attack (2018): Fire was opened at a Christmas market in Strasbourg on December 11, 2018 by a radicalized individual Chérif Chekatt who was on a security watchlist, resulting in five deaths and numerous injuries. Chekatt was later killed by police after a two-day manhunt.
- Samuel Paty Murder (2020): Samuel Paty, a schoolteacher, was beheaded by Abdoullakh Anzorov, an 18-year-old radicalized Chechen refugee on October 16, 2020 for showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad to his students during a lesson on free speech which sparked outrage among Muslim parents.
- Nice Stabbing (2020): A fatal stabbing at Nice’s Notre-Dame Basilica on 29 October 29, 2020, left three people dead and numerous others injured. The attack, coming soon after murder of teacher Samuel Paty, further heightened tensions in France amidst growing worries about terrorism and religious extremism in Europe, was denounced globally.
Rise in fear and desire to protect French culture has bolstered support for far-right political parties like Marine Le Pen’s National Rally. These parties advocate for stricter immigration controls, stronger measures against radical Islamism and policies to reinforce secularism and French cultural values. Public sentiment, as reflected in recent polls, shows strong support for these measures.
National Rally led by Marine Le Pen and other far-right political parties are benefiting from increased anxiety and desire to preserve French culture. Stricter immigration laws, forceful countermeasures against radical Islamism, steps to uphold secularism and French cultural values are supported by these parties. Recent polls indicate that there is substantial public support for these initiatives.
Fear of radical Islamism and desire to reclaim French identity are powerful forces shaping public opinion and politics in France. French population’s response to these concerns continues to influence national debates and direction of political discourse in that country. The listed cases of Islamist assaults underscore severity of threat perceived by many French citizens. As France continues to navigate these complex issues, the challenge remains to ensure national security and cultural values while ensuring rights and integration of all its citizens.
Strong factors influencing French politics and public opinion include the country’s fear of radical Islamism and its determination to restore its identity. The way French people respond to these issues continues to shape national conversations and the country’s political discourse. The assaults linked to Islamists that are listed highlight how serious a threat many French citizens believe to be.
Safeguarding national security and cultural values while guaranteeing rights and integration of all its inhabitants as France continues to negotiate these complicated concerns.
(Author is operations head at Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies, a New Delhi based non-partisan think tank)
[1] http://danieleconversi.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Reconfiguring_the_French_nation_Public_d.pdf
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