Democracy is in danger in the US... It doesn't have to be everywhere else
Against the rise of fascist billionaires and potential dictators, let's stay mobilised in 2025! And, as always, I include examples of progress in Africa.
Dear readers,
2025 starts and it’s already hard to hope it is going to be a good year for world politics…
But we don’t have to despair! As a friend wrote to me today: we have to be brave (thanks Mary, I agree!).
Surely, the news agenda is bleak. There is no ceasefire in sight for Gaza, and no solution for the wars in Ukraine or Sudan, no solutions for the Congo or even to save Mayotte from the mess French authorities made worse…
Yet, while media and social networks indeed keep inundating us with examples of bad governance, poor leadership, and men’s misuse of power, there are many illustrations out there of other ways, other narratives, other stories. I chose to focus on the latter…
Yes, the United States of America has become a source of profound worry in our world. But this is hardly news…
Where were you during the war in Iraq, the Gulf War, the Vietman war? Have you ever read about Chile, about segregation and about the erasure fo Native Americans?
While working with Velvet Film, I had all the leisure to dig deep into these horrors for the preparation of the films ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ and ‘Exterminate All the Brutes’.
US mess: Just a few words
Donald Trump isn’t in power before 20 January and he has already threatened so many… Even to take over Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal… Delusional? Still not fun for Canadians, Panamanians, or for most Latin Americans indeed.
Many universities in the US have also been advising their international students to return early amid concerns that President-elect Donald Trump may reinstate a travel ban on certain countries following his inauguration, according to a report…
CNN said many major universities, including New York University (NYU), which hosts the largest number of foreign students, as well as Cornell University and the University of Southern California, have warned students about concerns regarding the incoming Trump administration.
But, even if Musk is a worry in Germany and the UK, where he openly supports AfD and Farage’s Reform Party, the Trumposphere is already divided (read The Guardian’s ‘Maga v Musk: Trump camp divided in bitter fight over immigration policy’ if need be) and might not last long…
Instead of waiting to see, I’ll be doing my job, and I hope the right people will do too, as Toni Morrison famously wrote.
French democracy in limbo: Summary
Meanwhile, in France, the political crisis is getting deeper as our president still refuses to listen to the vote results from French citizens, expressed in the past summer’s elections.
Here is my attempt at summarising the recent events factually and unemotionally for our Paris-based international newsroom, Radio France Internationale:
France - politics
French PM Bayrou defends choices to lead country out of 'difficult situation'
France's Prime Minister François Bayrou mounted a vigorous defence on Monday night of his choices to lead the country out of its economic and political crisis.
Issued on: 23/12/2024
By: Melissa Chemam
Just over an hour after details of his first cabinet were announced, Bayrou went on live national television to explain the logic of recalling several names from previous administrations such as former prime ministers Elisabeth Borne, Manuel Valls.
“I think we're in the most difficult situation we've been in since the second world war," Bayrou told journalists on BMF TV.
"It is a country that has no budget, no majority, in which a large number of French people think and believe that they are being left out, that no attention is being paid to them."
Bayrou said that Borne, who was premier between May 2022 and January 2024, would be his de facto number two.
“The country's number one challenge is education,” Bayrou added.
During the 90-minute interview, Bayrou attempted to present himself as a centrist, unifying figure. "If we want to fight the immense problems France is facing at the moment, we cannot let disagreements rule," he said.
The return of Valls came as a surprise. The 62-year-old served as François Hollande's premier between April 2014 and December 2016 and will take over as overseas territories minister after nearly a decade away from the white heat of power.
His priority will be to implement the rescue package for the battered Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte where Cyclone Chido left at least 35 dead and more than 2,500 injured.
"One of the most pressing issues for this country are overseas territories," Bayrou insisted. "They are very fragile, very destabilised societies, which feel that no one is looking after them."
The 73-year-old, who heads the liberal Democratic Movement (MoDem) party, denied he had succumbed to any influence from Marine Le Pen's National Rally on the composition of his government as claimed by the former minister Xavier Bertrand.
But there were acknowledged hard line operators at the interior and justice ministries. Gérald Darmanin, who served as Interior Minister between July 2020 and September 2024 under three prime ministers, returned to the government as Justice Minister – the post that had seemed destined for Bertrand.
Bruno Retailleau, a conservative who has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, retains his post as Interior Minister.
Bayrou also promised to not use the controversial 49.3 article of the French Constitution which allows the government to bypass MPs in parliament unless he was completely blocked. He told the interviewers that he did not want to slap new taxes on businesses but conceded the country's deficits had to be addressed.
Named by President Emmanuel Macron on 13 December to replace Michel Barnier, Bayrou will head the fourth government of the year.
Criticisms
The leader of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, accused him of having formed the coalition of failure.
Marine Tondelier, the Green Party chief, condemned him for placing himself in the hands of the far right.
The leader of the France Unbowed (LFI) MPs, Mathilde Panot, said: "It is a government filled with people rejected at the ballot box who have contributed to sinking our country ... with the support of Marine Le Pen and the National Rally."
Right-wing LR members of parliament have said they will not rule out withdrawing their support for Bayrou's government. "We will be very demanding," added LR's Laurent Wauquiez.
The government will meet for the first time on 3 January and Bayrou is expected to give a policy speech to parliament on 14 January.
LFI MPs say they will table a motion of no confidence against Bayrou and his government as soon as possible.
On media and democracy
More importantly, like in the UK, the problem deepens as media get silenced or owned by enemies of democracy. Here is an interesting read, from Rayan Vugdalic: Programme Officer at Friends of Europe:
Billionaire media empires: the silent erosion of France’s democracy
“France, a country with deep republican roots, is now grappling with an alarming democratic crisis.
While the rise of far-right movements across Europe garners global attention, a quieter but equally dangerous transformation is taking place in France. At the heart of this shift is a powerful network of media controlled by conservative billionaires, enabling undemocratic decisions to be taken without much pushback.
These media outlets are actively shaping public perception and national narratives, allowing President Emmanuel Macron to sideline the will of the people.
While France was captivated by the Paris Olympics—a spectacle that had the whole nation smiling from ear to ear, the country’s political landscape was being dramatically reshaped. President Macron used the oldest trick in the book.
As the French were glued to their TVs, cheering at the grand venues used for the Games, they barely noticed they were missing a Prime Minister. Let’s rewind on a history-altering summer in French politics…”
Read on from here: Billionaire media empires: the silent erosion of France’s democracy
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If you haven’t already, you should also follow the crisis at the Guardian in the UK.
As the text of this newsletter is already too long for the Substack format, here is a link to my blog:
Worry on journalism and democracy in the UK
And I recommend following the newsletter by Carole Cadwalladr, also relevant on the first entry of this post.
My main job luckily allows me to look at world news sideways, as I shy away from the mainstream and western-centric narratives.
Here are some more inspiring and interesting development in Africa below…
Senegal
Senegalese PM promises bold reforms in first major policy speech
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Friday promised sweeping changes to transform the nation during his long-anticipated first major policy speech to parliament.
By: Melissa Chemam
Sonko announced plans to close all foreign military bases and repeal an amnesty law covering political violence that left dozens dead in 2023 and 2024.
Speaking nine months after his appointment, the prime minister pledged to transform Senegal’s governance, economy and social policies under his National Transformation Agenda 2050.
The speech, originally expected in April, was delayed due to a procedural impasse in the Assembly’s regulations and later postponed by early legislative elections in November that gave him a large majority in parliament.
Read on from here: Senegalese PM promises bold reforms in first major policy speech
SOMALIA
With a new president, Somaliland seeks international recognition
As the country's new president took office last week, following a peaceful election in a region otherwise in turmoil, Somaliland hopes to see its independence recognised by the international community – having declared it in 1991.
By: Melissa Chemam
The self-governing region within Somalia – which has never been recognised by the latter's authorities – appears to be closer to being recognised than ever before.
Speaking at his inauguration in Hargeisa on 12 December, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said he would give "special importance to foreign policy" and pursue recognition for Somaliland from the international community based on a “valid legal argument".
"My new government's first job is to renew its relations with the rest of the world in order for us to be able to create a new Somaliland that will help the security of the entire region, including the Red Sea," he declared.
The United States Ambassador to Somalia, Richard H. Riley, attended the president's inauguration and said that Somaliland was "one of the best examples of democracy in action in Africa".
Read on from here: With a new president, Somaliland seeks international recognition
I also wrote a longer piece on the state of democracy in Africa in 2024, to be published soon… You’ll find it here.
And… it’s the end of “Françafrique”, the post-colonial lingering attempt from Paris’ political and economic elite circles at permanently dominating former colonies in West Africa and in the Sahel…
Chad, Senegal, even Cote d’Ivoire took the decision to ask French soldiers to leave!
FRANCE - CHAD
Chad orders French troops to leave within six weeks as relations sour
French soldiers have been asked to leave Chad by 31 January, sources close to the government in Paris say – a deadline that RFI was able to confirm with Chadian authorities.
The request, received late Thursday, gives Paris just six weeks to remove 1,000 soldiers and their equipment. French officials say the tight deadline is likely to further strain relations.
French military sources called the move “a pressure tactic from the hardline faction of Chad’s inner circle of power” – adding that such a withdrawal would be impossible.
Chad is the last remaining country in the Sahel to host French troops. It set up a special commission to oversee the dismantling of the military agreement between Paris and N'Djamena earlier in December.
SENEGAL - FRANCE
Senegal's PM Sonko questions future of French military presence in Dakar
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has raised the possibility of closing French military bases in the West African country in a wide-ranging speech that also touched on the euro-backed CFA franc currency, oil and gas deals and LGBTQ+ rights.
The newly elected Sonko, who gained power when his hand-picked presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye won a decisive victory in March, is known for criticising perceived overreach by France in its former colony.
France has about 350 troops stationed in Senegal.
"More than 60 years after our independence ... we must question the reasons why the French army still benefits from several military bases in our country and the impact of this presence on our national sovereignty and strategic autonomy," Sonko said.
He was speaking at an event at Dakar University on Thursday night alongside French hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who is visiting the country.
French military
France to reduce military presence in West and Central Africa
France is planning to reduce its military presence in West and Central Africa to around 600 troops in line with President Emmanuel Macron's plans to limit the French military footprint in the region.
According to a plan currently under discussion with African partners, France is planning to drastically reduce its so-called "pre-positioned" forces in Africa, three sources told French news agency AFP.
The shift began in February 2023, when French President Emmanuel Macron announced a "noticeable reduction" of French troop presence in Africa, at a time when anti-French sentiment was running high in some former colonies.
According to two sources close to the government and a military source, who all asked not to be named, France will keep only around 100 troops in Gabon in Central Africa, down from 350 today and around 100 in Senegal, in West Africa, down from 350.
Thanks for reading as always.
I hope to grow the list of subscriptions here, always free of course, to depend less and less on social media.
Otherwise, I’m mostly active on Bluesky now: https://bsky.app/profile/melissaontheroad.bsky.social
And my YouTube channel continues to grow slowly…
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All the best, happy new year (despite all the Trump worries or atrocities in wars/massacres), and do keep in touch.
bravely,
melissa