In France, incidents began and progressively intensified after a traffic police officer killed a 17-year-old youth of Algerian – Moroccan origin. Evaluating the incidents ongoing since June 27, Dr. Faculty Member Güler Kalay, Deputy Director of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Political Psychology Application and Research Center, pointed out that the public's reaction should not be considered as an instantaneous and one-off stance. Highlighting the increasing refugee rate and poverty as reasons for the social reaction in France, Kalay stated, “It is not a situation faced only by France; we can say that all of central Europe is prone to social incidents stemming from similar problems.”
Dr. Güler Kalay: “All of Europe is prone to problems similar to those in France”
Dr. Faculty Member Güler Kalay, Deputy Director of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Political Psychology Application and Research Center, discusses the incidents that erupted and continue violently after a French traffic police officer shot and killed a 17-year-old youth.
“The reaction in France is not an instantaneous and one-off stance!”
Evaluating the incidents that broke out after a 17-year-old youth was killed by traffic police in France on June 27, Dr. Faculty Member Güler Kalay started her remarks by saying, “I believe that the French people's reaction to the incident that brought France to the brink of civil war should not be regarded as an instantaneous and one-off stance.”
Kalay stated that the practical manifestation of the attitude developed against official authorities, and its connection to such an incident, actually reveals deep-seated socio-ethnic problems in French society, and added, “Emmanuel Macron's statements regarding 'calling for the punishment of those responsible' and 'nothing can justify the killing of a young person' should be read meticulously.”
“The government avoids past mistakes”
Recalling the incidents that also took place in France in the autumn of 2005, Dr. Kalay said, “We can say that Macron is avoiding the mistakes of Sarkozy, who was the President of France at that time. Sarkozy had adopted a harsh stance to suppress those protesting the killing of a North African-origin youth and the street demonstrations. However, this harsh stance led to a further increase in protest actions and their transformation into arsons that engulfed all of France. So much so that; the French government at that time deemed it necessary to re-implement the 1955 state of emergency law, which enabled local authorities to impose curfews. In October-November 2005, all of France witnessed violent protests that escalated into pogroms (massacres) and arsons.”
“Social reaction is linked to the refugee rate and increasing poverty.”
Dr. Faculty Member Güler Kalay stated that, looking at the recent incidents, a similar social explosion can be mentioned again, and used the following expressions: “When looking at the protestors in general, young people whose ancestors moved to France from overseas colonies, especially from the African Continent, stand out. Compared to the incidents in 2005, the increase in the number of foreigners settling in France as asylum seekers, along with rising poverty over the past 18 years, coupled with the growth of the active population, could lead to more devastating consequences than before. There is a 31% increase in the proportion of asylum seekers in 2022 compared to 2021. Both this significant increase in the asylum seeker rate and rising poverty are among the important reasons for the social reaction.”
“Not just France’s problem, but all of Europe’s”
Kalay, referring to the fact that the effects of the Ukraine-Russia War should not be ignored due to its indirect role in the impoverishment of the French people, said, “At this point, it is useful to recall the protests that arose due to natural gas prices in the past winter months. Of course, there are other important factors underlying the impoverishment of society. Neoliberal economic policies, especially in the last quarter of the 20th century, can be mentioned. These are also issues that need further elaboration. However, we cannot ignore that the impoverishment in French suburbs has a longer history.”
Kalay stated that when looking at the protester profile, the poorest segment, which constitutes approximately 15% of the country's population, draws attention, and concluded her remarks as follows:
The death of the Algerian youth is a spark…
“For socio-ethnic problems to grow further with impoverishment and turn into a social explosion, only a spark is needed. We can name the killing of the Algerian youth as this spark. In fact, this is not a situation faced only by France; we can say that all of central Europe is prone to social incidents stemming from similar problems. This also explains its spread to other countries. Even if the wave of protests can be brought under control, it is clear that new social conflicts cannot be avoided unless permanent solutions are found for the existing fundamental problems.”