Auteur(s) : CLERMONT Jean-Arnold de;FPF;FEDERATION PROTESTANTE DE FRANCE;STEWART Jacques;CIMADE;TRAUTMANN Frédéric;SERVICE PROTESTANT DE MISSION;PFISTER Hubert;ENTRAIDE PROTESTANTE;
The strength and integrity of a democracy is to allow freedom of expression even to those who put it in question. We have just had a bitter experience of this.
Nothing should undermine the legitimacy of the choice of the citizens when they put their ballot in the box and, clearly, the extreme right collects both votes of conviction and votes of protest.
Nevertheless, we are dismayed to see such a great number of our fellow citizens vote for a candidate who stands for the denial of our most basic republican values such as:
o The capacity of our country to welcome and share
o The refusal of all discrimination based on national origin
o The priority we give to tolerance
o The defence of human rights and civil liberties
o The rejection of the death penalty
The democratic principle is equally put in peril by those who don't make use of the freedom of choice and self-expression that they've been given. The level of abstention worries us.
Don't our fellow citizens realise that extremists easily attract the vote of the discontent or that the more candidates there are, the more each individual vote counts? Haven't they learnt the lesson that democracy is in the hands of us all or that politically their may sometimes only be a choice between the least bad options?
On the eve of the second round of the presidential election, which will be followed a little later on by the parliamentary election, it seems necessary to recall the values which give us confidence in the political process. The coming days are gravely important for our democracy; everyone will have the possibility to make their voice heard and to take their future in their hands.
o We understand the protest vote as an expression of the anxieties that many French citizens have. For this reason we ask that the thinking of our politicians should take more account of the aspirations of our fellow citizens.
o We understand the anxiety, and we stand against the divisions in our society. We ask that the thinking of our politicians should give hope to those who find themselves excluded from the basic welfare services that society owes them, such as the health, lodging, education, security, decent pensions etc. Each person in France must find here their place and their future.
o We understand the anxiety but we accept neither the hatred nor the rejection shown towards foreigners who have freely chosen our country in which to live and work. Our country must express a strong will to find room for them within the framework of the laws of the republic. At the same time we must maintain the principle of the separation of state and religion to which we, Protestants, are so much bound by our history. Many European countries accepted us in the past and we, in our turn, should be able to welcome others today.
o We are trusting our fellow citizens in their capacity:
to make republican choices;
to take action to revitalise our democracy;
to give back an attitude of fraternity and openness to our country;
to restore their image in the eyes of the world.
o We are trusting our politicians:
to develop a common vision of a future in which everyone can share with hope;
to restore, in the ministries to which they aspire, the true dimension of service to all.
Pasteur Jean-Arnold de Clermont, President of the Federation protestante de France
Pasteur Jacques Stewart, President of Cimade
Pasteur Frédéric Trautmann, President of the Service protestant de mission
Mr Hubert Pfister, President of the Federation de l'Entraide protestante
Contact person : Myriam Delarbre, Information Service, Tel: 01 44 53 47 13 ; Fax : 01 42 81 40 01 e-mail : myriam.delarbre@protestants.org
Source(s) : FEDERATION PROTESTANTE DE FRANCE;FPF;
Date de parution : 23 avril 2002
Fédération Protestante de France - http://www.protestants.org