Magistrate union's 'collusion with far-left' denounced

Bruno Retailleau, a candidate for the French presidency and a member of the conservative Les Républicains party, has strongly criticized the participation of a magistrate from the Syndicat de la magistrature (Judicial Officers' Union) at a press conference organized by the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party. Retailleau denounced this as "collusion with the extreme left" and called for an end to such alliances.

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The Syndicat de la magistrature [...] calls for demonstrating against a law voted on democratically. This collusion with the extreme left must stop.

The controversy stems from the union's secretary national, Stéphane Fischesser, attending an LFI press conference to oppose a proposed law that would recognize a presumption of legitimate defense for law enforcement officers. The bill, which passed its first reading in the National Assembly on July 7, has been labeled a "license to kill" by LFI and other left-wing groups. The union has urged widespread support for a petition against the legislation.

Fischesser stated that the Syndicat de la magistrature "firmly denounces this text" and announced their intention to join a planned demonstration on September 19. The magistrate union has a history of political engagement, often aligning with left-wing causes. Their participation in the LFI press conference has reignited debates about the political activities of magistrates, whose union rights are guaranteed by a 1958 statute.

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We call for massive signature of the petition.

However, the statute also prohibits magistrates from engaging in "any manifestation of hostility to the principle or form of government of the Republic" or any "demonstration of a political nature incompatible with the reserve required by their functions." Retailleau argued that the union's actions violate these principles and called for a significant reform of how magistrates exercise their union rights, suggesting their current practices blur the lines between professional advocacy and political activism.

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The Syndicat de la magistrature firmly denounces this text which was unfortunately voted in the National Assembly.