Thousands of French protestors demand withdrawal from NATO and EU

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 Sep 2022 00:15
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Thousands of Patriots party demonstrators gather in Paris to demand the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron and the withdrawal from NATO and EU.

Patriots demonstration in Paris demanding French President's resignation (Social Media)

Several thousand protestors gathered on Paris' Palais-Royal Square on Saturday after the right-wing Patriots party called for the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a Sputnik correspondent.

The Patriots once again called for protests after the initial demonstrations that took place on September 3rd. The protesters want Macron to leave office and withdraw from both NATO and the EU.

With only 40% of the French population in favor of the anti-Russian sanctions, the most recent Elabe poll revealed that support for anti-Russian sanctions is on the decline across France. The poll showed that 32% of French people believed that anti-Russia sanctions must be restricted to diminish their effect on the livelihoods of the French people. However, a staggering 27%, more than half of those who support sanctions against Russia, have stated that they are against economic sanctions altogether.

Since 2021, energy costs, across the EU, have been rising as part of a global trend. Fuel costs have skyrocketed since the start of the war in Ukraine and the adoption of various multiple sanction packages against Moscow by the West, prompting several European countries to take emergency measures.

Divided opinions

With the increase in demand for power, a number of nations have declared a desire to build nuclear infrastructure, including China, which already possesses the most reactors, the Czech Republic, India, and Poland since nuclear energy provides an alternative to coal.

Similar goals are shared by the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and even the United States, where President Joe Biden's investment plan promotes the growth of the sector.

Due to the possibility of catastrophic accidents and the ongoing debate over how to adequately dispose of radioactive waste, IPCC experts acknowledge that the use of nuclear energy "can be constrained by societal preferences."

Some countries, like New Zealand, oppose nuclear, and the issue has also been hotly debated in the European Union over whether it should be listed as "green" energy.