Unfortunately France is only lagging behind, but on the same authoritarian path.
First thing done after terrorist attack: declare emergency state, a tool designed for cases where the state is at risk of collapsing because of invasion by a foreing country or violent insurrection…
The police gains the power to assign people considered at risk at their residence. Very first use: assign climate activists at residence during the COP.
Emergency state is reconducted multiple times without any rationale, other than vague “terrorist threat”.
One of the first actions from Macron once in power was to make it permanent, by passing its key elements in the law.
Protests against anti-social policies or for climate are now systematically met with a violent response. People come out with an eye or a hand missing due to flashballs and lacrymo grenades. Answer from the government is something like “they had it coming”.
Cases of activists and journalists intimidation by law enforcement are multiplying.
Give it a bit of time, and France will catch up.
klu9@piefed.social 2 days ago
Executioner with head of Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_of_Charles_I
HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 2 days ago
Yeah interesting how our first attempt at democracy. Was started by and failed due to. Religious fundamentalism.
Given only wealthy land owners could vote. Hardly democracy.