Former French President Francois Hollande is critical of the current president Emmanuel Macron, in an interview with the French newspaper La Tribune, accusing him of dividing the country, starting his second term with the reform of the pension system and at the risk of blocking any other reform.

Regarding the recent riots in France, Hollande argues that a response should be given that combines the democratic order, the return of public services to the neighborhoods and the priority of education.

Regarding the rise of the extreme right in Europe and the risk that the next European Parliament will be blocked by the extremes, he states that yes, everything shows that there will be an increase in the seats of the extreme right, noting at the same time that in this European political system, which is based in proportional representation, populists will remain in the minority. According to him, what is possible, on the other hand, is for the European right (the EPP) to cut ties with the European social democrats (the PES) and prefer an alliance with the liberals and a section of the hard right . However, he emphasizes that since the first election of the European Parliament with universal suffrage, this symbiosis between the Social Democrats and the EPP has always made Europe move forward, which he estimates will be the challenge of the 2024 European elections.

As for Ukraine’s step-by-step regaining of territory, despite massive aid from the United States and Europe, and whether the partition of the country is de facto inevitable, he notes: “Yes, that’s what Putin is counting on. He has abandoned his primary goal, namely the conquest of the whole of Ukraine, and is trying to freeze the front with a line of demarcation, which tomorrow could be that of partition. To prevent this maneuver, there is no other solution than to massively help Ukraine to recover as much territory as possible.”