The Yellow Vests: a leftist movement which does not want to be called leftist! [Part 3 of 3]

Click here to access article by Dimitris Konstantakopoulos, a Greek journalist, posted on United World (based in Turkey). 

It is precisely because of their willingness to succeed that the “masses” isolate anything that could divide them or have a negative impact on the movement’s further development. For example, despite the fact that 70% of the demands of the movement are identical to the political programme of the left-wing “France Insoumise”, the Vests have so far prevented it from playing any significant role in their activities, keeping their distance from it.

Hence, in France, at present, we see the development of a movement which seems to be very “left-wing” in terms of principles, ideas, demands, values or slogans, but which does not wish to be called “left”.

Besides, the “radicalism” of French society, as in other western countries, is manifested towards both the “radical left” and the “radical right” and in the ranks of the Yellow Vest movement one can find supporters and even cadres of parties from both ends of the political spectrum, as well as apolitical citizens. Thus, if the Yellow Vests were to start expressing any political party preferences, they would automatically lose part of the support they enjoy, becoming an easy target for their opponents and undermining their struggle.