Economic and social crises leave voters between revolt and despondency
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France is hesitating between revolt and despondency as a series of crises overlap. Devastating heatwaves have hit the agricultural sector, while rising interest rates and mounting debt have combined with a housing shortage and falling purchasing power to strain the national mood. High school movements have added a further layer of disruption.
Macronist activists are preoccupied by the rise of the extremes, with supporters of Gabriel Attal divided on whether the far-right National Rally or the far-left La France Insoumise poses the greater threat. Outside the capital, a company in Alsace has been accused of using internal documents to sort thousands of job applications by the supposed gender and origin of the candidates.
The new 'integral law' on sexual violence has introduced harsher penalties for obstetric and gynecological violence, including the suspension of offending medical professionals. However, the legislation has been criticized for offering discounted care to victims, with existing resources proving insufficient for the proposed care pathways.