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

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)