Candidate (lost) 2022 Legislative Election for Nupes 2e Ain constituency, where he comes from, Lumir Lapray, 33, published “Those people.” Immerse yourself in a France that could change everything (Payot, 224 pages, 19.50 euros). A first work in which this popular eco-activist discusses the National Rally’s (RN) voting success in suburban and rural areas to understand its causes.
You have traveled through rural areas in France and the United States, meeting working class voters who have switched to the RN or Trump vote. What does this teach us?
There is a similar motivation in this election: the feeling of living in danger – because any accident in life can lead you into danger. Added to this fear are other things, such as shame for feeling this vulnerability, anger for not being able to control one’s own existence, being called a scapegoat who is often more vulnerable than oneself.
In the United States, the violence of unbridled capitalism is objectively much stronger, and we must also consider Christian nationalism and masculinism, fueled by decades of war.
However, we must remember how volatile these votes are: they are primarily a symptom of emotion (shame, desire for ownership or pride) and the search for those responsible for very real problems; something that is difficult for educated elites, who tend to have an intellectualized political ideology, to understand. This should give us much hope, because, in the face of this confusion, the left can organize to win back their hearts.
By what means can we hope to achieve this?
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