ASSEDEL had the opportunity to take part in an enriching exchange with Emanuel Fernandes, engineer by training, elected in 2022 to represent La France insoumise in the French National Assembly and re-elected in 2024. He currently serves within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where he is Vice-President of the United European Left Group; he contributes notably to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs, as well as serving as a full member of the Committee on Migration, International Protection and Economic Cooperation.
During the exchange, he shared his perspective on several major political and institutional challenges facing Europe today.
- The Lisbon treaty and the 2005 referendum held in France about the European Constitution.
- A perceived lack of coherence between Europe’s institutional functioning and its original political project.
- Concerns about the limited influence of the European parliament submitted to the Comission, illustrated notably through recent procedures such as the Mercosur agreement.
- The recurring global pattern of weakening state structures and the general mistrust of economic regulation alongside the rise of strong governance leadership models
He also emphasized how migration narratives shape public debate, referencing the recent appropriation in Saint-Denis of the xenophobic slogan “on est chez nous”, where migrant communities reclaim and reinterpret exclusionary discourse, affirming their place within society despite persistent prejudices.
He further stressed that the rise of far-right movements must be addressed through strong democratic engagement rather than political concessions.
Finally, he underlined that climate change is one of the most urgent challenges of our time, requiring immediate and coordinated action at all levels of governance.
