The European Parliament Elections, a rejection of our progress

EDITOR: Today, I speak to you with a 2burning heart and a bitter mouth.

We, the people of the West Indies – descendants of genocidated Amerindian peoples, sons of Africans deported into the hellish world of slavery, sons of men and women torn from India, China, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon under barbaric conditions – have lived through centuries of suffering, of ceaseless struggle, but also of stubborn heroism and maroon resilience.

Our history has been marked by the collapse of entire cultures and civilizations, but also by unexpected rebirths and exciting new beginnings. We have known the omnipresent spitting of which Césaire spoke. We have endured the shackles of body and mind, the brutalities of colonization, the abject wounds of racism, and the torments still endured by humiliated minorities around the world. Each of our generations has had to overcome terrifying obstacles to preserve, intact, treasures of dignity, serene humility and proud humanity. They have engraved some of the most beautiful pages of the human experience. So hatred cannot pass through us.

After these elections to the European Parliament, it is imperative that we reflect on this indisputable past and on our future. We need to understand the aberration of actively or passively supporting the far right. It’s an ideology which, in essence, denies all that humanity can have in the way of principles, rectitude and decency. It threatens all the foundations of the rule of law, republican protection and the fruitfulness of democracy. It follows in the footsteps of those who have always insulted us and undermined our very existence.

The far right, in its rhetoric and actions, advocates division, exclusion and hatred. It feeds on the flames of racism, contempt for the Other, xenophobia – the very things that have tried to silence, enslave and, today, disempower us. It promises a return to an unjust, oppressive order, where our place would once again be relegated to the margins, or worse: assigned to the hold of the planetary vessel.

We must remember that our ancestors fought unceasingly for freedom, for the affirmation of their rights, for their simple ability to breathe. They refused to give in to fear and alienation. They opposed the total inhumanity they faced with an extra measure of humanity. In so doing, they gave us privileged access to the highest hope, to the most ardent demand, to the concern to stand by the best of the human condition. Voting for the far right is a betrayal of this formidable heritage.

We cannot allow ourselves to forget that our strength lies in our singular collective experience, in our open diversity and in our ability to overcome adversity without consenting to any indigence. We must remain vehement, demanding and uncompromising in the face of those who try to manipulate our frustrations for unspeakable ends.

Together, let us raise our voices against intolerance, hatred, division and injustice. Let’s support policies that promote equality, mutualism, social responsibility, solidarity, respect for all peoples, respect for human dignity and absolute respect for all living things. This is how we will honour the memory of our ancestors, respect ourselves and build beautiful common seasons for our children.

My dear compatriots, let us not allow rancour, bitterness and moral regression to take root in our hearts. Let us not allow the history of conquerors, scorners and dominators to continue. Let us remain faithful to those categories of justice, emancipation and fraternity that invalidate everything they are. Let us reject the extreme right. Let’s work together for a society where everyone can live, flourish, share and fulfil themselves in creativity, concern for others and respect for themselves.

Serge LETCHIMY
President of the Executive Council of the Collectivité de Martinique.