Nathalie Arthaud at Mutualité: “The more revolutionaries, the better”

In front of 1,500 people gathered at the Mutualité in Paris, the Lutte Ouvrière presidential candidate hit everyone, from Zemmour to Mélenchon via Macron. Only spared, Philippe Poutou.

Let’s be reassured. At Lutte Ouvrière, there are things that do not change. The International always resounds at the opening and at the end of the meeting, the red flags always float in the air, the interventions always begin with “workers” and the talk is still fierce against “the bourgeoisie”, “big business” and “shareholders”. The Trotskyist formation, which claims 8,000 members, held its big campaign rally on Saturday at the Mutualité in Paris, a hotbed of the French left.

The recipe is simple: we invite those “from below” to go on stage and tell their daily life, often made up of galleys and hellish working conditions. A nurse says that she is sometimes asked to work twelve hours a day, a letter carrier assures us that it is “impossible mission” to do her job properly, a female worker rages against unpaid overtime. Each time, the room applauds and the 1,500 people crowd together.

“She is not a full-time politician”

We had the image of a dusty party, of aging militants, of stunted discourse. In the ranks, it is much more mixed. Young, old, students, teachers, retirees, unemployed. Julian is 23 years old. He is a film student and lives in Angoulême. He came to applaud Nathalie Arthaud, candidate for the third time in the presidential election. He “could vote” for the French Communist Party (PCF), but what makes the difference in its eyes is the profile of the people put forward. He says : “I feel close to Nathalie Arthaud, who is a teacher, who knows the reality and who is not a full-time politician.” For the young man who came alone to the meeting, “even people who are not particularly revolutionary” would have an interest in voting for the Lutte Ouvrière candidate. “Look at the way goods are produced and spoiled, look at the way workers are mistreated. That can not continue”, he insists.

At the podium, it seems that a little game is taking place. As if the one who will repeat the greatest number of times “capitalism” took the game. Jean-Pierre Mercier, worker at the PSA factory in Poissy, wins hands down. The spokesperson for the far-left organization opposes “Patriots, protectionists from right and left, supporters of borders and barbed wire” to “internationalists” which he claims. The tone is meant to be more serious when it evokes this “54-year-old worker died at his workplace”. “We die at work.” Silence. Then : “We die at work”, he repeats, emphasizing each syllable.

In the spans, we meet a few activists who have had their card for “maybe thirty years”. Between Lutte Ouvrière and its members, it’s a bit of a love story. They talk about it with passion. “I wouldn’t go anywhere else for the world. Why be unfaithful? questions Nicole, without knowing exactly whether she is talking about her husband a few meters behind or the party that propelled Arlette Laguiller six times in the presidential race, between 1974 and 2007.

“Dupont and Dupond of the far right”

When Nathalie Arthaud goes on stage, the eyes of the activists shine, even if they swear not to believe “in the providential man or woman”. They are not there for that. Their objective : “Overthrow capitalism and establish worker power.” It clearly states: “I am not aiming for the presidency of the Republic. I aspire to much more than that.” Before specifying: “It has to come from below.”

In his speech, everyone takes for his rank. Jean-Luc Melenchon? “He plans to work hand in hand with the bourgeoisie. He surely has the best facelift,” but it only offers “crumbs” to “workers”. Eric Zemmour? One “revisionist” Who “vomits his racist bile” and who promotes “mass deportation”. The 51-year-old teacher then embarks on a long plea in favor of “freedom of movement and settlement”. The tone is offensive. “I am proud to say welcome to the women and men forced to migrate. Those who cross the Mediterranean Sea at the risk of their lives are an integral part of my camp.” She adds : “It is our brothers and our sisters who, tomorrow, will work with us in the slaughterhouses, in the factories, in the streets, in the hospitals.” She defends the “class preference” in front of the “national preference” of Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, which she renamed the “Dupont and Dupond of the extreme right”.

The one who has just crossed the threshold of 400 sponsorships – she should have 500 next week – assures us that she does not see the candidacy of Philippe Poutou (NPA) with a negative eye: “The more revolutionaries, the better. It’s not a competitor. We will have twice as much speaking time and that’s good.

She turns on her heels and leaves to sign her latest book entitled Communist, revolutionary, internationalist! The faces parade, she recognizes some of them. The familiarity is de rigueur. She tells them “thank you for being here” and gives them an appointment on April 3 for the last major campaign meeting of Lutte Ouvrière. It will be at the Zénith de Paris, a week before the first round. With red flags and International.