/442/ The Unique French Capacity for Disappointment ft. Nathan Sperber (sample)

Bungacast

On France's permacrisis.

[Patreon Exclusive]

French sociologist Nathan Sperber talks to George and Alex about his new essay in the New Left Review, "The French Crisis: Organic or Conjunctural". We catch up with what has happened in France since Macron gambled and called impromptu elections in the summer. We discuss:

• Why does France always seem to be more in crisis than its neighbours?

• How has France ended up with hollow "leaderist" parties?

• Is Macron a true neoliberal or a reactive emergency politician?

• Did the left-wing France Insoumise miss its shot?

• How inevitable is a Le Pen government, and will it be co-opted by the French bureaucracy?

• What's the difference between an organic and a conjunctural crisis – and which one is France in?

Readings:

• The French Crisis: Organic or Conjunctural?, Nathan Sperber, New Left Review (pdf attached)
• An Introduction to Antonio Gramsci: His Life, Thought and Legacy, George Hoare & Nathan Sperber, Bloomsbury (Feb 2025)