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France on the edge
Nearly 150 years after French poet Arthur Rimbaud’s masterwork, contemporary France is roiled by its own Season in Hell, a deeply fractured and unsettled political moment in which dark phantasms grow large and the path to a better world is anything but clear.
Introducing a new series of political analysis from the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Brussels Office.
IMAGO/NurPhotoOne million people marched across France on 18 September 2025 in response to a joint call from unions and the Bloquons Tout (Block Everything) movement. From the early morning, hundreds of grassroots initiatives joined picket lines following weeks of self-organized general assemblies. This second day of ... read more "From Political Impasse to Popular Alternative?"
IMAGO/ABACAPRESSWhy Le Pen’s games are a danger to democracy
Like all right-wing extremist parties, the National Rally (Rassemblement National – RN) styles itself as an “anti-establishment” movement fighting against an allegedly corrupt and self-serving political elite. However, when it comes to their own financial ... read more "From far-right firebrand to playing the victim"
IMAGO/ABACAPRESSThe verdict against Marine Le Pen sends shockwaves around Europe–and is a powerful message against corruption and the abuse of power.
The prominent French nationalist Marine Le Pen was today found guilty by the Paris Criminal Court of embezzling public funds. Specifically, Le Pen was accused of misappropriating resources from the ... read more "Head Bowed, Hands Dirty"
The LeftVersion française ci-dessous
The forward march of extremist forces in Europe continued apace in the 2024 super election year, with far-right parties watching their election results surge in country after country. Their recent instalment into leadership positions within the European Commission — a historic first ... read more "Europe Needs an Action-Oriented Left"
IMAGO/StarfaceOn the evening of Sunday, 7 July 2024, the Place de la République in Paris was once again filled with a compact crowd, but this time it was joy and shouts of victory that dominated the gathering immediately after the election results were announced.****Version française ci-dessous****With only a few days to go before election day, the foundation’s Nessim Achouche spoke to Clémence Guetté, a member of the French National Assembly for La France insoumise (LFI) and co-president of the movement’s think tank, Institut La Boétie, about LFI’s electoral strategy and how Institut La Boétie helps... read more "The Struggle for Hegemony Is a Struggle for Ideas"
IMAGO/ABACAPRESSHow French voters turn out in the European elections next month could have major domestic implications
Do the French care about the European elections? Thus far, the European electoral campaign has failed to stir up much popular enthusiasm. Of course, it is only just getting underway, and headlines have focused primarily on the new ... read more "A Test Run for 2027?"