Lhe night does not always bring advice and the agreement laid between the negotiators of La France insoumise and those of the ecologists of EELV shows it, in particular on European questions. We do not discover that Mélenchon’s supporters are “red frexitors”, ready to get out of budgetary treaties and other free trade agreements. The most surprising thing is that French ecologists, pro-European if any, adhere to this view.
This passage of the agreement in this respect is edifying: “To be able to apply our program and thus respect the mandate that the French men and women have given us, we will have to overcome these blockages and be ready to disobey certain European rules (in particular economic and budgetary, such as the stability and growth pact, competition law, the productivist and neoliberal orientations of the common agricultural policy, etc.). “Recall that the European budgetary rules – the famous 3% deficit and 60% debt – have been suspended by mutual agreement between the 27 for two years to deal with the pandemic. France has never respected the budgetary treaties and has never been condemned to the financial sanctions provided for. Like what, the European Union is not as strict and fervently neoliberal as the Melenchonists would like to say…
Inconsistencies
But the contradiction between ecologists and mélenchonistes is obvious when you read the following lines of their agreement: “This [la désobéissance aux règles européennes, NDLR] can only be done in compliance with the rule of law (as defined in Articles 2 and 7 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). We will firmly oppose attacks on fundamental freedoms by far-right Hungarian and Polish governments. How can we claim European treaties to fight Poland and Hungary and want to free ourselves from them in other areas? Major inconsistency of an agreement that believes it can begin the refrain of “Europe à la carte”, where everyone applies the rules as they see fit, according to their ideological compass in this case.
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Europe is a set of rules adopted at 27, whether it is the rule of law, budgetary treaties, directives, etc. The ecologists, who made Europe one of their cardinal points, have lost their way and risk breaking with the German Greens, which are otherwise more structured and now in power in coalition with the Social Democrats and the Liberals of the FDP ( intractable when it comes to fiscal rules and free trade agreements).Ecologists and mélenchonistes, a pro-Frexit “common program”
But the new green-red allies brandish another argument: France can disobey since other nations do not hesitate. And to denounce the attitude of Spain on energy prices; from Germany on competition between water companies; of Portugal on the economic and budgetary aspects, etc.
The list can be extended at will: the Member States, in fact, commit infringements of European directives, but this does not mean that they announce with drums and trumpets their desire to infringe the treaties. Committing an offense against a European rule and announcing that the European treaties are no longer valid in areas where it suits you, are not of the same nature. In the first case, the EU has provided remedies, remedies and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is binding on Member States ultimately. In the second case, it means knowingly breaking the European pact and preparing, sooner or later, for a Frexit. That French ecologists can subscribe to such a “common program” leaves you speechless. A spin on Europe for a few more seats in the National Assembly…