Europhiles in France have found themselves in a heated debate over claims that Brexit has failed, sending shockwaves across the nation.
The controversy reached a boiling point when leaders of two prominent Frexit-supporting groups, Les Patriotes and Generation Frexit, dismissed the idea as “preposterous” and accused EU supporters of being out of touch with the current crisis.
Florian Philippot, the leader of Les Patriotes, rallied his followers in Paris for a protest this Saturday, urging them to make the new year a symbol of willpower to combat what he perceives as the detrimental effects of EU policies.
Philippot emphasised the strong desire among French farmers to revolt against what they see as burdensome free trade agreements and escalating taxes imposed by the EU.
“Our will as a people is to be free! Neither digital identity nor euro, nor this crazy enlargement of the European Union to Ukraine, to the Balkans, to the great happiness of the profiteers of social dumping and the mafias! Nor the war that the hawks want! Our desire is to regain control: Frexit is a huge fight, during the European elections on June 9 and all year round!,” wrote Philippot in his invitation.
Charles-Henri Gallois, the President of Generation Frexit, entered the fray, labelling the claims of Brexit failure as “preposterous” and arguing that the difficulties the UK faces are not linked to Brexit itself.
Instead, he pointed to structural issues such as the banking system, electricity mix, sanctions against Russia, and excessive money creation, which he asserted existed before the UK’s departure from the EU.
Gallois said: “Talking about Brexit being a failure is crassly dishonest. Analyse the growth figures, and you will see that since Brexit, the UK has done better than the eurozone. If it’s a disaster in the UK, it’s the Apocalypse in the eurozone.”
He further argued that the challenges faced by the UK are due to the way Brexit is being implemented by the Conservative Party rather than inherent flaws in the decision to leave the EU.
Gallois argued that Brexit allows for regaining control and criticised the lack of action by the Tories in addressing issues such as immigration.
“The big difference is that you can sack them at the next election, and you will have the means to pursue a radically different policy. Within the EU, that’s not possible,” concluded Gallois.
France finds itself at a crossroads, with citizens divided over the future of the country’s relationship with the European Union. The outcome of the upcoming European elections on June 9 is poised to play a crucial role in shaping the nation’s path forward.
