BBC – May 10, 2021
A new open letter has been published in France warning of the threat of civil war and claiming to have more than 130,000 signatures from the public.
The message, published in a right-wing magazine, accuses the French government of granting “concessions” to Islamism.
“It is about the survival of our country,” said the text, said to be issued anonymously by soldiers and appealing for public support.
The French government condemned it, as well as a similar letter last month.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin called the latest letter a “crude manoeuvre” and accused its anonymous signatories of lacking “courage”, AFP news agency reported.
The letter to the government last month came from semi-retired generals. The minister in charge of the armed forces, Florence Parly, said they would be punished for defying a law that forbids reservists or serving members of the military from expressing opinions in public on religion and politics.
However, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, a candidate in next year’s presidential election, spoke out in support of the estimated 1,000 servicemen and women who backed the April letter.
The new text was published late on Sunday by Valeurs Actuelles, although the numbers and ranks of its original signatories – said to be active members of the military – remain unclear.