EDITORIAL. Social fire looming on September 10: Irresponsible government composure or a stroke of genius?

The "Block Everything" movement is calling for nationwide protests, and politicians are making no mistake about it. On the left, everyone has their own commentary. The government, for its part, is downplaying it.

September 10th is a date marked, underlined, and highlighted in the calendars of all the country's political leaders. The date makes some smile and salivate with envy, and others worry or indifferent. Calls to shut everything down are multiplying on social media, some are even calling for a nationwide lockdown, without anyone knowing today what to expect, or what the day will truly look like.

One thing is certain, the left does not want to miss the boat. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, driven by the desire to place himself at the center of the game on the left for 2027, is the first to get on board so as not to be overtaken, as in the time of the "yellow vests". La France Insoumise is putting itself at the service and disposal of this movement and so much for the obvious trial of political recovery. Officially, LFI finds itself in all the slogans of this catch-all protest , which calls for demonstrations, emptying one's bank account or even the resignation of Emmanuel Macron and the rejection of François Bayrou's budget.

Environmentalist Sandrine Rousseau called on Franceinfo on Thursday, August 21, for the people to rise up and for the anger in the country to be expressed loud and clear. However, it is a movement that also seems to have been hijacked by the far right. Even though it has no identified leader and is organized outside of parties and unions, it is fueled by several far-right figures on social media. The bet that a part of the left is making , rightly so, is to remain faithful to its vocation: to accompany and support protest movements with the hope of finding a relay, significant support, a form of legitimacy to lead political action, and subsequently, the censure of François Bayrou in the fall.

The risk is that the operation fails and the movement fizzles out. Firstly, because Mélenchon's support could become cumbersome, put a target on his back, and demonetize him. Let's remember that this movement claims to be independent and non-partisan. Secondly, because the idea of ​​aggregating anger, railway workers, taxi drivers, etc., doesn't always work. Moreover, the unions are wary of it , and will meet next week to decide what to do. This nebulous, gaseous, vague side is the card played behind the scenes by the government, which, officially, is not worried, minimizes, and relativizes. Either it is completely irresponsible, or, by anticipation, a stroke of genius. But that's the nature of risky bets.