“Collectively, workers can lead society”, supports Jérôme Garcia, Lutte Ouvrière candidate in the legislative elections

Jérôme Garcia : “On défend des idées qui ne le sont pas par les autres partis, y compris ceux placés le plus à gauche” MIDI LIBRE – ALEXIS BETHUNE

Hospital worker in Alès and CGT union representative, he takes up the torch of LO in the 4th constituency of Gard and carries a "class struggle policy". Encounter.

What state of mind were you in on the evening of the European elections ?

For us, it was a surprise. Not because of the results that had been announced for a long time, but by Emmanuel Macron’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly. And, immediately, the idea of ​​taking up the challenge came back. It’s not easy for a small organization like Lutte Ouvrière to present itself. But we are running in 550 constituencies; we are the training which has the most candidates.

You have already been a candidate once in the legislative elections, and before that, a substitute. Was it obvious for you to return there??

We are activists. All year round, even outside election periods! I would have stopped after the European campaign, but Macron dissolved the Assembly and I had to be there to defend our policy. It is obvious that we, committed activists, were not going to wait for orders from above, that we were going to take the campaign. The simplest thing, as far as we are concerned, was to represent the same candidates as in 2022. Especially in an emergency! And I wanted to go there. For the choice of my replacement (Alésien François Chabrol, 43-year-old teacher, Editor's note), we wanted to rejuvenate the team…

Why didn’t Lutte Ouvrière join the New Popular Front?

Because we defend ideas that are not defended by other parties, including those further to the left. The workers run the whole society and it must be up to them to run it. Today, bourgeois families only manage finance according to the private and individual interests of shareholders. Collectively, workers can lead society by best meeting the needs of the population. However, it is not the elections that will allow them to change it, but the class struggle! To return to the New Popular Front, they suggest that it was the electoral victory of the Popular Front which enabled the great advances of 1936; we do not have the same reading of History. We believe that this is the most general strike that France has known, with factory occupations, which led to paid vacations, the 40-hour week and raises. salaries.

By going it alone, doesn't LO split the left ? Does she split it ?< /p>

First, the legislative elections are two-round elections. And we have our entire political program to defend which, as I said, is not that of the union of the left. The left promises mountains and wonders to the workers and, once in power… she betrays them! It is these repeated betrayals that lead the world of work to vote for the reactionary ideas of the National Rally.

You obtained 1.55% of the votes in the 2022 legislative elections. What is your objective this time?

To be in the second round. No just kidding. It consists of convincing as many people as possible and obtaining as many votes as possible on my behalf to defend this policy of class struggle.

We know that you will not be in the second round. So what will you do on July 1st?

We're not going to talk about the second round (laughs). The important thing is to defend a policy. Afterwards, we will take our responsibilities…

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