By Danielle Riva
Mar 16, 2025
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, every day, the French see and hear generals or former high-ranking NATO officials, all retired, commenting on every minute of what is happening in Ukraine. In the major daily press, Le Monde is at the forefront of the “existential” struggle against Russia, embracing all of Macron’s ideas, even his contradictions, without real opposition.
And there is the news channel LCI on channel 26, broadcasting 24 hours a day, reports, comments, and debates all identical: Putin = Hitler, the Russo-Ukrainian war = 1939/1945: “the Soviet Stalinists against the Americans, our liberators”, “long live the hero Zelensky”, all this always in the presence of Ukrainian women living in France and invited to the debates, all emotional and calling for revenge against the Russians.
Only one opinion is allowed: “all united against Putin, the fascist, the dictator, the criminal, and even: ‘Satan'”, etc…”. And “Glory to Ukraine”, without knowing that this slogan was that of the fascist bands of Bandera, the Ukrainian collaborator of Hitler, who participated in the execution of 2 million Ukrainian Jews between 1941/1942, known as the “Holocaust by Bullets”. The memory of Bandera is still celebrated in Ukraine because, with the Nazis, he fought against the Russians. The fascist-armed bands Azov, Privat Sector, Svoboda, etc., have all been integrated into the Ukrainian army.
In short, if by mistake you express a doubt, you are immediately labeled as a “Putinist”, “defeatist”, “fascist”, etc.
In short, in the country of Descartes and Voltaire, emotion has replaced the analysis of real facts.
Political reactions?
A recent poll shows the opinion of the French on March 3, 2025
(Elabe, independent polling institute)
- 76% of the French are worried that the military conflict will spread to other countries close to Russia and 64% that it will spread to France. Figures that have remained stable since June 2024.
- 20% (4 points since June 12, 2024) of the French believe that France should increase its military support to Ukraine, 44% (5) that it should continue to support it as it is now. On the contrary, 18% (-5) believe that this support should be reduced and 17% (-4) that it should be stopped.
- The continuation or even the increase of aid to Ukraine is strongly supported by the voters of Ensemble — presidential majority: 91%, of NFP (PS PCF Verts FI): 79% and of the right: 77%. On the contrary, a majority of RN voters: 59%, wish to reduce (27%) or stop (32%) military aid to Ukraine.
- 68% of the French are opposed to sending French combat troops to help Ukraine if the war with Russia continues, but 67% are in favor of sending French troops to guarantee peace if a peace agreement with Russia is signed.
For sending combat troops during the war: the opposition is a majority in all electoral fields, although stronger among RN voters (83%) than Ensemble (54%)
- For sending troops after the war to guarantee peace: Ensemble voters (89%), NFP (80%) and the right (77%) are in favor, while RN voters are divided (51% in favor, 49% opposed)
- 75% of the French say they are not ready to pay more taxes to help Ukraine, of which 43% not at all and 32% not really. On the contrary, 24% say they are ready, of which 19% rather and 5% absolutely.
- 70% of the French are in favor of Ukraine joining NATO, of which 40% after the war and 30% immediately, against 29% who are opposed.
Ensemble and NFP voters are massively in favor of Ukraine joining NATO (respectively 92%, 82%) and the EU (83%).
Joining NATO rather after the war for Ensemble voters (54%), during the war for NFP voters (44%), and for both electoral fields joining the EU now is preferred (46% and 47%).
- 66% are in favor of joining the European Union, of which 35% after the war and 31% now, against 33% who are opposed.
Right-wing voters (66% NATO, 60% EU) mostly support Ukraine’s accession, however, they are divided on the timeline.
RN voters, on the other hand, are very divided on Ukraine’s accession to NATO (53% in favor, 47% opposed) as well as to the EU (50% opposed, 49% in favor).
These percentages are quite revealing of a certain success of Macronist propaganda that continues relentlessly and without mass resistance so far.
Quite surprising, despite the divisions, the conflicts of a rather intense debate in the National Assembly, a political life that has stuck in 3 almost equal “blocks”; despite the threat of censorship, and the demand for Macron’s resignation from FI, Macron’s propaganda works. And very well. The NFP and the Macronist group and their allies have an almost identical assessment of Macron’s war fervor and the war in Ukraine.
Why this return of Macron?
Because he was challenged and hated at the domestic level, Macron put on the uniform of the head of the armed forces. He is the only one who decides, thanks to the French Constitution, to use or not nuclear warfare. It is an outrageous privilege, but that is how de Gaulle had decided when he created the constitution of the 5th Republic and the strength of the French “nuclear deterrence”.
And Macron returns to the forefront of politics.
France is the only country in Europe that has a completely autonomous nuclear force. The other countries are covered by American nuclear bases and therefore have no autonomy. The Americans decide. And NATO is subservient to American policy.
There remains Great Britain, which no longer belongs to the European Union. It has its own nuclear force. But on its soil, there are American nuclear bases. According to an agreement, it does not actually have autonomous use of its nuclear force. The mutual defense agreement between the US and the United Kingdom: US-UK Mutual Defense Agreement or UK-US Mutual Defence Agreement of 1958, is a bilateral cooperation agreement between the US and the United Kingdom on nuclear weapons. The full name of this treaty is Agreement for Cooperation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defense Purposes.
The mutual defense agreement states that the two countries exchange “equipment as well as classified and controlled information for defense purposes.”
Thus, the French are quite proud of their nuclear power and their history, full of glorious battles, but also of resounding defeats. Anyway, Macron loves himself as a Napoleon who will make “Russia succumb” to defend Ukraine. To which Putin replied, very correctly: “uh yes, remember how it ended with Napoleon, in Russia.”
And the political groups are rather in a state of shock.
The PS, which this time has been split by FI, has always been a “convinced Atlanticist” and remains so despite Trump. The French social democrats are perplexed. They persist in believing that Trump may not win the “mid-term” elections (in the middle of the term) in 2 years and that the Democrats will return to power quickly enough and everything will return to normal.
In reality, they cannot understand exactly what is happening in the US with the bazooka Trump: a working class that voted for him as well as blacks, Latinos, women. Simply because the “French socialists” have copied their anti-social and pro-societal policies from the “American Democrats” who are not ready, on the contrary, to return to power.
The Greens have jumped on the Macron train in motion: “goodbye ecological energy transition”, “goodbye to pacifism” and let’s follow the warmongering German Greens who will be ousted from the future CDU/SPD alliance in a troubled Germany with AfD at 20.8%!
The PCF understands better the issues of a war against Russia, it is the only one talking about Peace, but it no longer represents anything and remains stuck in the remnants of the former NFP, so as not to lose its representatives and remain in the National Assembly.
And FI? FI is fighting first for:
A/ Macron’s resignation and the election of Mélenchon as President, or Prime Minister,
B/ Pensions at 62 years old and even a return to 60, a very popular demand of the French who want to ignore that the European average retirement age is around 67 years old.
Bayrou has just said No to the return to 62, which is also supported by RN. Bayrou has created a “conclave” between unions and employers to revise certain aspects of the text on 64 years old, such as reconsidering the issue of arduous work. This “conclave” is political. But in France generally “politics” never sticks its nose into discussions between “social partners”. Agreements are usually made between unions and employers, nothing more, nothing less and become law. But Macron insists on pension reform, he had committed to the European Commission. He will not back down!
C/ the fight against fascism, against anti-Islamism and for the struggles for LGTQ+++.
There is an increase in anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic acts. There have been since the Bataclan drama in 2015, by radical Islamists (The death toll stands at 130 dead and 413 injured who were hospitalized) other attacks or crimes committed by Islamists in groups or alone. The knife attack has almost become a habit. On the other hand, there are Imams in France who propagate an Islam close to the positions of jihad. The school and education are threatened by students who refuse for religious belief, for example, historical or scientific education, etc.
On top of all this, there is also the violent repression of demonstrators, police errors that kill or injure young offenders. It is no longer only in large cities that the existence of the citizen sometimes becomes difficult, but also in medium and small cities. In short, all this contributes to the strengthening of the National Rally. And the current policy of the 2 Ministers of Justice Darmanin and Interior Retailleau “against separatism”.
There is a demonstration called by FI scheduled for March 22, against “racism and the far right” and also without explicitly saying it, “against the endemic and structural anti-Islamism of the French Republic”. There are “neighborhood” problems, there are “cohabitation” problems, there is the problem related to “drugs”. Yes, there are everyday problems. But generally, in the polls, the French highlight the problem of purchasing power, work, health, pensions, school and downplay the importance of security.
The speech of FI and the radicals of the left is exclusive and exaggerated. A deviation that comes from American university campuses.
“To lend or share the French nuclear?”
This is a very serious question. The French are afraid, they are anxious, somewhat hesitant, but overall aligned with the line defined by Macron.
Only in recent days after Macron’s speech on “Let’s share our nuclear” Mélenchon, who returned from a trip to Latin America, begins to express himself more clearly against the war. But nevertheless, he does not call for large gatherings as in Germany or Italy.
In short, it is on the right — apart from the Macronists of course who are all more unconscious than each other like Attal, a new ambitious contender for the throne of France and who is eyeing the 2027 presidential elections — that we still see some faithful of de Gaulle who, while weighing their words well, do not agree with Macron: “Russia is not our enemy”. We see them very little on the screens, we do not read them in the press “at the helm”.
As for the RN, its position is the clearest, against Macron’s war fervor, but although Bardella is in favor of full support for Ukraine — except for sending French troops — he is clearly against Putin. Marine Le Pen is on a line of non-confrontation with Putin, but above all she is categorically against Macron’s policy. That said, her fate is hanging on a court decision that convicts her for using the funds of her European parliamentary seat for the purposes of her party, which is strictly prohibited by the EU.
And the far left? The 4th Trotskyist International? It says that it is a confrontation between 2 empires, the Russian and the American, and that we should not be “campist”, that is, not choose between the two. But since its support in 1990 for NATO intervention, in the war in Yugoslavia, against Serbia “close to Russia”, it has simply become Atlanticist. In short, whether it wants it or not, it supports Macron’s policy of “supporting Ukrainians and providing them with weapons”.
However, a beginning of questioning is emerging.
On March 13, 2025, a vote was held on the EU proposal to seize Russian funds deposited in European banks for an amount of 300 billion to finance the arming of Ukrainians.
The alliance between the Macronists and the PS, the Greens has become tangible:
The deputies of the Macronists, socialists, ecologists, and the parties of the right Les Républicains and Horizons voted with 238 in favor of this European proposal which has something symbolic!
The RN abstained
and 54 deputies voted No, the PCF and FI.
This vote is symbolic as the use of foreign funds deposited in France and Europe is impossible. On the one hand, because so far no one has been able to replace this form of international transactions, even if they are highly contested.
The use of the funds of the Russian State deposited in European or French banks is legally and internationally impossible. Why? It is even more impossible as the financial system is based on trust and international law.
The ECB has already declared its refusal. Macron himself said No. But some warmongers, like the French MEP Glucksmann, who see Putin as a Hitler, want to go to the extreme of their hatred against Russia.
If it happened that France could lift this ban, what would happen?
Some countries and investors would immediately withdraw their funds from France.
Investors, such as the Gulf countries that finance economic projects in France, would lose confidence, leave and invest in other financial platforms: London, New York, Sydney, Tokyo for the largest, or even Hong Kong as they would not want their funds to be removed even for a “good cause”.
The French (European) banking system would then face a serious crisis of reduction of these funds invested in the economy of France and the EU, which is already in very bad shape.
These difficulties would spread in France from bank to bank, and then in the EU and we would face the biggest crisis since 2008 from which we are still struggling to recover.
and when we say crisis we mean bankruptcies, job losses etc.
Already the use of the interest of these funds for Ukraine, is controversial.
Generally, the freezing of funds is applied. For example, the Americans have frozen the assets of Afghanistan thus preventing the Taliban from using them. There is even a discussion underway for the return of these funds under political conditions.
But attacking the funds of the National Banks themselves, is like provoking an economic suicide. And the Brussels Commission knows it well, and Macron too, he who says No, who comes from high finance and knows the rules!
Being “generous” with other people’s money is an impossible hypocritical whim without causing a huge economic crisis in France, in Europe and internationally.
On the other hand, there are 150 billion French funds in the books of banks in Moscow. The Russians could then do the same and use them for their own needs.
In reality, this could benefit the BRICS who are trying to de-dollarize international economic transactions.
Thus, the vote in the assembly has only indicative value.
And we can observe the shipwreck of the NFP.
The 2026 municipal elections are beginning to shake up the political schemes. Could there be a rebirth of the NFP under the current conditions of ruptures over the policy to be followed regarding the Russo-Ukrainian war?
Return to Macron: “To arms … Citizens …”?
When a country is floating as best it can in an “existential” political crisis (this term is very fashionable) that has lasted for several decades — in fact since 2005 with the No vote on the European constitution with 55% of the French against and the government subjected to censorship after censorship, that the president himself is under the threat of resignation or dismissal, what can the power do to escape this?
It does as always elsewhere: Sounds the horn, gathers the people: TO MAKE WAR.
And so in 2025 Macron announces that he is entering the war on the side of Ukraine against Russia which has not declared war on us.
In reality Macron, who has always defined himself primarily as “European” imagines himself as the military leader of the EU ready to clash with the Russians.
He wants revenge on Putin who refused to continue talking to him on the phone. While he says he wants to declare support for Ukraine, and to propose a supposed pause in the conflict, in reality he announced the stages of sanctions on Putin. As a Peace offering, surely there was something better.
Macron has not stopped since then multiplying meetings, between allies, with Trump, Starmer, the heads of the French army and Europeans, and always with the inevitable Zelensky who has become the stubborn general of a war that he can only lose and who acts primarily for a confrontation of Europeans against Russians who have not declared war on the EU.
We have nothing left but to mobilize against Macron “the European”, always ready to sacrifice the interests of the French. This is what becomes “existential” for us French of the “left”.
Fortunately, there are still some military personnel who realize this danger.
Air Marshal Bernard Norlain: “Talking about deterrence as the absolute guarantee, is like promising a Maginot nuclear line” (Publication): Bernard Norlain, Air Marshal of the Air Force (2S).
Nuclear weapons are expensive, give a false sense of security and risk being overtaken by new cyberwars or space wars, he declares in a publication in the newspaper “Le Monde”, the Air Marshal of the Air Force, president of Initiatives for Nuclear Disarmament. (Published on January 22, 2022 at 05:23, modified on January 22, 2022).
However, Macron’s reckless statements are beginning to provoke hostile reactions. Will they reach the point of forcing deputies to propose resolutions against the war and to vote for a truce and against Macron? And will the French finally rise up against this war to end the slaughter of an entire generation of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers?
No to war! For a truce and negotiations for Peace!
Published in DefendDemocracy.Press https://www.defenddemocracy.press/pourquoi-les-francais-restent-ils-silencieux-sur-la-guerre-en-ukraine/. Translated by Christian Haccuria
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