Conscience politique

MARY REICHARD, HOST: It’s Thursday the 27th of January, 2022.

Glad to have you along for today’s edition of The World and Everything in It. Good morning, I’m Mary Reichard.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown. First up: Paris!

Ah, Listen to Ella Fitzgerald sing that classic! And just imagine Paris in the springtime! Flowering tree-lined boulevards, couples strolling arm in arm, and presidential elections!

REICHARD: Okay, maybe that last one doesn’t quite fit the romantic image you were conjuring up. But in France, every fifth spring, elections for the president roll around. And this year, Christians are wrestling with how to engage in the political sphere.

WORLD’s European Correspondent, Jenny Lind Schmitt, reports.

Macron: “Tout le monde nous disaient que c’était impossible… Mais ils ne connaissaient pas la France!” [Cheers]

JENNY LIND SCHMITT, EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT: Five years ago, Emmanuel Macron became France’s youngest president at the age of 39. He won by positioning himself as a centrist candidate who could bring differing parts of French society together. For a while, it seemed to work.

AUDIO: [Crowd]

Then came social unrest, exploding in the gilets jaunes–yellow vest protests of 2018 and 19.

AUDIO: [Siren and crowd]

Macron’s initiatives to make the economy more competitive sparked the ire of workers. They said subsequent rising fuel prices were the last straw from an administration only interested in protecting the rich.

Then came Covid. France had one of Europe’s most severe lockdowns, and is still feeling the economic repercussions. Over 75 percent of French are fully vaccinated, but Macron recently used vulgar language to say that he wanted to “make life difficult” for those who aren’t. Just months before presidential elections, some say that was a ploy to force other candidates to take a stand on the issue.

Macron’s three main opponents come from the right.

Pecresse: “Je suis la seule à pouvoir battre Emmanuel Macron”

In December, center-right Valérie Pécresse won the primary of the Republicans to become the conservative party’s first female presidential candidate. She touts a tough line on immigration, but seeks to siphon Macron voters with her own brand of economic liberalism. Her campaign has given new life to the conservative party, and polls show her neck-and-neck with Marine Le Pen to qualify for the second round against incumbent Macron.

Le Pen: “Il n'y aura que deux alternatives, soit la dissolution de la France par déconstruction et submersion…”

Le Pen, who faced off with Macron in 2017, has since changed the name of her party to the National Rally. That’s part of continuing attempts to rebrand it and tamp down its reputation of racism and anti-semitism.

Zemmour: “Je pense qu'il faut effectivement des établissements specialisés…”

Le Pen has lost some voters on the right to newcomer Eric Zemmour. He’s a political journalist and analyst. He launched his own party, Reconquest, and announced his candidacy late last year. Both critics and admirers compare Zemmour to former U.S. President Donald Trump. He has a knack for getting attention, often for controversial statements.

Macron, who hasn’t yet officially declared his candidacy, is polling at 25 percent. Many French don’t particularly like him. But even after five tumultuous years, they seem to think he’s better than any of the alternatives.

JEAN-PHILIPPE GUEUTAL: Je ne sais pas si on se rappelle, mais avant la crise Covid, il y a eu d'abord de grandes grèves, notamment à la SNCF.

Jean-Philippe Gueutal is program director for Radio Omega, an independent Christian radio station in Eastern France.

GUEUTAL: Ensuite, on a eu à partir de l'automne la crise des gilets jaunes …

VOICEOVER: It’s important to remember that before the Covid crisis, there were huge national transportation strikes. Then the yellow vest protests which started because of the jump in fuel prices. So there had been ongoing social tensions for months. Then came the Covid crisis and lockdowns. Those diluted those tensions somewhat, but they are still very much there.

Gueutal says a real problem is the public’s disillusionment with politicians and a growing disinterest in voting.

One big issue on the minds of Christians is the anti-separatist law passed last year. Thierry Le Gall is evangelical chaplain to France’s National Parliament.

LE GALL: Beaucoup de croyants en France et de pratiquants ont été émus, inquiets et même choqués …

VOICEOVER: Many believers were troubled and shocked by this decision to impose on all religions more layers of administrative, financial, and legal regulations, simply because we have religious convictions. So yes, that may have an impact on the elections insofar as we have the impression we’ve become suspect in the eyes of the government.

Christians were caught off guard by the government’s willingness to curb religious liberties in the name of fighting terrorism. But one possible good could come out of it: This may encourage more believers to participate in the process.

LE GALL: Il y a une prise de conscience politique qui grandit chez les protestants évangéliques français …

VOICEOVER: There’s a growing political awareness among French evangelical protestants. Until now there was a mindset of a radical separation between the secular world and the spiritual world. But in the last 15 years, we’ve seen a young generation take interest in political engagement for the common good.

Le Gall says French Christians have an opportunity to be salt and light in the political realm, if Christians can avoid the temptation to seek power for the sake of imposing what he calls “Christian laws.” This is especially important in a nation where 60 percent of people identify as Roman Catholic, but only 4.5 percent regularly attend church.

LE GALL: Les chrétiens que je rencontre et qui entre en politique ne le font pas pour prendre un pouvoir politique …

VOICEOVER: The Christians I meet who go into politics don’t do it to impose an evangelical or Christian point of view on the country, but to contribute to society as a “living stone.” Christ’s example is one of men and women, in the heart of society who by their behavior, their actions, and their words will impact society positively, without imposing their own beliefs.

Le Gall’s organization, the National Council for French Evangelicals, has prepared a voter’s guide to help reflect on the issues from a Christian worldview. Gueutal says Christians are called to participate, but with the right perspective.

JEAN-PHILIPPE GUEUTAL: C'est un combat interne pour les chrétiens …

VOICEOVER: It’s an internal battle for Christians: Submission to authorities mixed with the fact that at the same time, we shouldn’t expect too much from the authorities.

The first round of French elections take place on April 10th. The two candidates who win the most votes will face off for round two on April 24th.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Jenny Lind Schmitt in Delle, France.

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