After EL summer university 2014.

1. For the Front de Gauche in Munich, during the
campaign of the EU elections 2014.
French Organised Abroad
Complements after the workshop called
„migrant workers“, held at the Summer
University of the European Left on July 26.
Eric Bourguignon, 27th
July, in the train back to
Munich.
- I lived more than 12 years outside France (UK and Germany).
- A trained economist specialised in Research and Innovation, I am supporting European
Scientists in their attempts to win European funding for R&D projects (home solutions for
seniors and robotics).
- I regularly translate in French Press Releases from Die Linke and from the GUE-NGL
parliamentary group.
- To follow me: Facebook; www.eric-bourguignon.fr; www.autreville.worldpress.com
Generalities
2,5 Million French people are living abroad every year (estimate from different official reports). 45%
of them have a double-nationality.
The situations are very diverse, ranging from born abroad from a French mother or father, to
Erasmus students, to “expatriés” going abroad following the contract of a French company for a few
years with their family, to people joining their partner as a first choice criteria before any other
consideration, up to foreign affairs civil servants, etc... In a time of economic crisis, also in France,
finding a job is also a key factor in many of these first migrations. At some point however, after many
years living in one particular country and with no project to return back, and sometimes the
acquisition of a second nationality without losing the French one, I propose not to talk of “migration”
anymore but just of “French resident abroad”.
The wave of young qualified and unqualified workers crossing the Rhine does however exists, and
many settle in Germany (especially in the South) to avoid unemployment in France1
. It is important
to notice that many young French with a migration background leave the country also because they
face racism at the work place. Germany is not the only destination, many go to the UK and other
European or international destinations. Many young French workers prefer a job abroad, even not
well-paid, rather than accumulating experience unpaid “Praktika / stages”.
1
Sadly I cannot provide figures.

2. A complex representative system for the French living abroad
Since the end of WWII exits an institutional
system of representing the specific political
interests of French living abroad2
. It has had
several developments. To make it short, a
French living in Berlin (main residency), can
vote in German local and European elections,
but also for a French MP for Germany and a
few other European countries (there are in
total 11 world-constituencies), as well as for
so-called “consulate advisors” to give an
advice on how every main consulate is
administrated. There 443 of such advisors
abroad, meeting at least twice a year with the
Consul of their sub-constituency. These
advisors newly elected in May did vote in June
for their representatives in the “Assembly of
French living abroad”, which key responsibility
is to discuss and vote an advice (not
boundary) to the Ministry of foreign affairs on
its budget policy. Finally, these advisors will
vote in September to renew the 6 members of
the “Sénat” (second chamber in France),
dealing with French living abroad. During decades, French living abroad were pre-dominantly
conservative, then in the 80's more were members of the Socialist Party. Greens developed
themselves in the last 10 years, and recently a new ensemble emerges, the “Front de Gauche”
abroad.
Le « Front de Gauche des Français de l'étranger », since 2012.
Left from the Socialist Party and the Greens, there was little organised activity to represent the
interests of French living abroad. Typically, the PCF (member of the Front de Gauche since its
creation in 2008) for example was considering during many decades that for French living abroad,
the priority was to enter into local political parties abroad. Many people were politically active
however, just not in the complex representative system of French living abroad.
For the 1st
time in 2012, we could vote for our own MPs for the 11 newly created constituencies
abroad. The Front de Gauche presented 11 people in these 11 constituencies. Results ranged up from
3 to 6%. A good motivation to continue.
The Socialist Party and the Greens formed the new Government in 2012, and the activity continued
for many months up to the elections of the 25th
of May for the “consulate advisors”. 10 people from
the Front de Gauche were elected in different constellations. In Berlin the Front de Gauche scored
more than 12%, and in Munich-Stuttgart more than 5%, of the expressed votes (only 15% of all
registered French did vote). 1 person was even elected in the “Assembly of French abroad”.
2
AFE: http://www.assemblee-afe.fr/

3. Knowing that many will come back, but that others will arrive, we try to better organise ourselves
and exchange information, create political and cultural events. In Germany, some activists are
already in trade-unions, in Die Linke or in left French of German associations, and invest their
competences there in their free time. It is important that French do also exchange in their mother-
tongue, French, on their experiences, which helps to find their places and understand the social
codes in the Germany society.
This political activity has often the possibility to join bilateral German-French initiatives (institutional
of political ones), which facilitates this activity.
Examples to get more visibility: Left. Logo of the Front de Gauche in Baden-Württemberg-
Bayern. Right. Logo of the Front de Gauche abroad.
I do hope that this short description, will give ideas to the newly arrived Spanish, Greek and other
Europeans, of which fighting spirit we do not doubt. Next time, we shall talk about the common
points with the struggles of Migrant Workers coming from outside the EU.
I wish you all, and to myself, lots of progress in the German language, the main key for all of us to live
well here... For example to know German Working laws, and to have fun!