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☢️ Going nuclear (or not)

French President Emmanuel Macron was the headline interviewee for the launch of a new political tête-à-tête on France 2 , ‘L’événement’. Unfortunately, the hour-long discussion focused on international affairs triggered an explosive debate.

When asked about how France would react should Russia target Ukraine with a tactical nuclear strike, he gave an answer that, while reaffirming French nuclear doctrine, was not what Ukrainians nor the political commentariat wanted to hear:

"France has a nuclear doctrine, and our doctrine is based on the fundamental interests of the nation, and they are defined very clearly…[a nuclear response] is not at all what would be in question if there were, for example, a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region…that is not our doctrine today. We have a framework as far as we are concerned”

You may be asking yourself what would constitute the fundamental interests of the nation, and the “simple” answer to this is that it is entirely down to what would damage the chances of survival of the French state, which would primarily take the form of a direct nuclear attack on France or her territories.

While I will delve into the response on this topic soon (it’s been a hell of a week), it’s important to note in the meantime that the position on the French president to not launch nuclear weaponry, while making the French position less ambiguous, allows the French state to make it clear to Russia and the Russian people that it will not target them with nuclear Armageddon, and will raise the threshold required for Putin to justifiably us them himself.

But we’ll get into this soon.

🚜 Mélenchon makes himself some space

Having spent the last six months coordinating his party from behind the scenes, as well as traveling across South America to increase his contacts, it seems that Mélenchon has tired of seeing his party running without him and has decided to carve a space for himself in LFI.

The now former deputy has decided that he will take on a leadership roll within the Boétie Institute, with his adviser stating that “He will coordinate the movement under the La Boétie Institute”.

It’s also been made clear that the party is now in a phase of reconstruction, with the goal being to make it more “action oriented”, more dynamic, and to “break with the classic forms of parties”.

However, what that actually means in practice? Nobody knows right now, but with ongoing conflicts happening within the party, marginal actors like François Ruffin trying to force his way into the decision making apparatus of the party, and ongoing recriminations across the board, things are looking rocky.

💶 Laurent Wauquiez flashes his (region’s) cash

As one of the soon-to be Presidential Candidates for the 2027 elections, we now have an obligation to observe what it is that Républicain Laurent Wauquiez is up to, which unfortunately for him won’t do him too much good.

Following on from Valérie Pecresse, who herself is being investigated for financial embezzlement of public funds, it seems that Laurent Wauquiez held an extravagant dinner for 90 people in Beaujolais for around €100,000. All covered by the Region Wauquiez presides over.

While the dinner giving the appearance of a fundraising dinner, the region explained that this was a “summer dinner” that was intended to “bring together "personalities from all walks of life into contact: cultural, economic , sporting, associative, social and solidarity economy…[to] create in our region great synergies between the actors”

However, the issue for Wauquiez and the Républicains is that this gives free ammunition to their opposition, with the left and the far-right targeting the extravagance and already laying the groundwork for a perception of disconnection from the French people he hopes will elect him to the Elysée.

Andréa Kotarac, Pr/esident of the Rassemblement National in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, gave one of the strongest rebukes:

“While 12 million French people are unable to heat themselves, the stations are dry and inflation is confirmed, Laurent Wauquiez and his friends have lost their sense of reality. My group solemnly asks what justified such expenses for this dinner! “

Unfortunately for Wauquiez, while he likes to state that he has changed after his time in the political wilderness, it seems that he is still up to his old tricks, and this will damage his credibility not only within his party, but with the citizens.

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