Leading Francophone political parties and civil society groups met on Saturday to discuss strategies to counter the far right, following an initiative by PS leader Paul Magnette.
Around thirty participants attended the meeting.
Paul Magnette had proposed the gathering a month ago, emphasising the need to rethink and modernise the “cordon sanitaire” to address current challenges, including repeated attacks on public service media, trade unions, research, and culture.
Party leaders from PS, PTB, Les Engagés, Ecolo, and DéFI joined representatives from trade unions, mutual societies, and educational organisations to review the fight against the far right, explore potential solutions, and consider the future of existing measures like the cordon sanitaire. The MR president did not accept the invitation to participate.
The meeting was described as “fruitful, constructive, and respectful” by attendees. Participants agreed to continue this collaborative effort with civil society groups in a cross-party manner.
Future discussions aim to redefine and reaffirm shared principles to unite against the far right and its ideologies.
