France toughens stance on extremists: investigations and threat of further group bans

The political situation in France has reached a critical point following a brutal attack in Lyon that led to the death of a young identitarian activist. The Paris prosecutor's office is focusing its efforts on suspicions of the revival of structures of the militia La Jeune Garde. Investigators are examining whether members of the banned group continue their activities under the guise of other associations, which would constitute a serious violation of criminal law. The case has a strong political dimension, as one of the founders of this group is the current far-left MP, Raphaël Arnault. President Emmanuel Macron has called on parliamentary parties to "clarify their position" regarding groups using violence, which is a direct attack on La France insoumise (LFI). Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon sharply criticized LFI's stance, accusing Jean-Luc Mélenchon's party of building a "conspiratorial narrative" targeting press freedom. Simultaneously, government representatives announced the extension of dissolution procedures to other groups, including the female identitarian collective Némésis, which is intended to demonstrate the authorities' objectivity in combating extremisms from both sides of the political spectrum. French law regarding the dissolution of militia groups originates from the law of January 10, 1936, which was enacted to protect the Third Republic from the growing strength of armed fascist and communist leagues. Despite the political storm, the lawyer for the family of the deceased Quentin Deranque appealed for respect for mourning and refraining from exploiting this tragedy in the campaign ahead of the upcoming elections. The victim's funeral is scheduled in the Vaucluse department, placing local services on high alert due to the risk of clashes between radical groups. Meanwhile, a nationwide discussion is growing about the effectiveness of the dissolution processes themselves, as many experts point out that the administrative dissolution of a group often merely leads to it going deep underground or changing its name without altering its methods of operation. „J'exhorte les partis qui ont des liens avec les groupes violents à clarifier leur position.” (I urge parties that have ties with violent groups to clarify their position.) — Emmanuel Macron