LFI supports the "Block Everything" call: "We cannot just be satisfied with a legislative battle," says MP Éric Coquerel

On Sunday, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and several LFI officials expressed their support for the citizens' movement calling for France to be paralyzed on September 10.

"Faced with the government's policies, we need social mobilization. We can't just be satisfied with a legislative battle," said Éric Coquerel, the rebellious deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis, on France Inter on Sunday, August 17. "The more social mobilization there is, the more we will be able to overthrow both François Bayrou's government and put an end to Emmanuel Macron's policies, even though he has been a minority in the country for a year," he added. In La Tribune Dimanche , Jean-Luc Mélenchon and several LFI leaders gave their support to the still poorly identified citizens' movement "Bloquons tout" (Let's Block Everything). Nearly seven years after the yellow vest movement, calls to paralyze France on September 10 are multiplying on social networks.

The planned actions are sometimes classic, "strike-type" , and sometimes "less classic" , such as "stop using your bank card from September 10" or "stop shopping in supermarkets" , explains Stéphane Sirot, a specialist in social movements, to AFP.

The "Block Everything" movement has grown since Prime Minister François Bayrou announced that he wants to save more than €43 billion in the 2026 budget, which will be examined in the autumn. Manuel Bompard, the national coordinator of LFI, admits in La Tribune Dimanche that he is "not particularly " familiar with this movement but that La France Insoumise "recognises itself quite well in the slogans" .

"If we let this happen, we will give even more opportunities to the far right and conspiracy networks to take over."

Éric Coquerel, LFI MP for Seine-Saint-Denis

on France Inter

This protest is being organized outside of the usual union channels and is intended to be "apolitical," but it is supported by far-right accounts. This is not a hindrance to the rebels, explains Éric Coquerel, also president of the Finance Committee at the National Assembly, on France Inter. "This is a bit like what was said at the time of the yellow vests, and then at one point the unions and others ended up supporting the yellow vests because we could clearly see that what was of far-right origin was very much in the minority, and I believe that is still the case today," he justifies.

A guest on franceinfo on Sunday, LFI MP for the North, Aurélien Le Coq, believes that this call to "block everything" on September 10th is "that of popular anger" in the face of "a government that continues to apply the methods of the social crusher ." He assures that the rebels want to "respect the self-organization and autonomy" of this movement. From the moment it "carries demands close to ours" such as "wage increases, the defense of public services, the fight against austerity and calls for the departure of François Bayrou, we call on people to join it," he explains.

La France Insoumise will file a new motion of censure in an attempt to overthrow the Bayrou government at the start of the school year. Because "there is nothing to negotiate," insists Aurélien Le Coq. "Let's not delude ourselves. Some have already tried the doormat and mop technique, of going to brush the Prime Minister's shoes, during the last budget. The reality is that they have had an unprecedented first austerity cure," continues the elected representative from the North. He is referring to the Socialists, the PS had given up voting to censure the government during the budget debate, in exchange for negotiations on pensions.