PARIS — France's government on Wednesday ordered the dissolution of multiple extreme right and radical Muslim groups, four days before the first round of high-stakes legislative elections that may see a surge in support for political extremes.
Snap national elections called by pro-business moderate President Emmanuel Macron have plunged the country into a hasty and disorderly electoral race, in which hate speech is becoming a growing concern.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced Wednesday that the government ordered the shutdown of several groups peddling extremist hatred. A series of decrees announcing the shutdown outlined investigations into the groups and said they posed risks of violence.
The groups affected include GUD, known for violence and antisemitism. Its members have supported far-right political leader Marine Le Pen in the past.
Le Pen's National Rally party is leading all polls ahead of the two-round elections, June 30 and July 7, while Macron's centrist alliance is lagging far behind. However, the outcome remains highly uncertain due to the complex, two-stage voting system and potential political alliances.
This is not the first time the French government has moved to dissolve groups it believes infringe on security and human rights, but the pre-election timing of Wednesday's announcement appeared to send a clear message about extremism.
Another targeted group, called Les Remparts, is accused of inciting hate, discrimination and violence toward foreigners and non-white people, according to Interior Ministry decrees reviewed by The Associated Press.
Some members, a decree said, wear a jacket bearing the inscription ''White Division'' and the group has offered self-defense trainings. The ministry cites a 2023 attack in which dozens of hooded far-right militants, armed with iron bars, attacked a civil society group at a conference about Palestinians. Some of the attackers had ties with Les Remparts, the decree said.
