Jacobin Radio

At the beginning of June this year, Emmanuel Macron called a snap election for the French National Assembly. The move came after the far-right party of Marine Le Pen, the National Rally, topped the poll in France’s European election. The party was widely expected to repeat that performance in the national election and form a government for the first time. But a left-wing alliance, the New Popular Front, thwarted the ambitions of Le Pen and her ally Jordan Bardella.The New Popular Front was the largest single bloc in the National Assembly and should have been given the opportunity to nominate a prime minister. However, Macron was determined to stop that from happening. After stalling throughout the summer, Macron finally appointed a new prime minister last week. He chose Michel Barnier, a conservative politician whose party came fourth in the election.Macron appointed Barnier with the approval of Marine Le Pen. As Jacobin’s Europe editor David Broder put it, Barnier may be in office, but Le Pen will hold power. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise, the largest group in the New Popular Front, denounced the appointment of Barnier as a subversion of democracy and the popular will.Bruno Amable, a professor of political economy at the University of Geneva, joins Long Reads for a conversation about Macron’s role in the wider crisis of French politics. Bruno is the author, with Stefano Palombarini, of an important book that analyzed the aggressive and authoritarian class politics underpinning Macron’s project. It was translated into English as The Last Neoliberal: Macron and the Origins of France's Political Crisis.Dan spoke with Bruno before the appointment of Michel Barnier as prime minister, when it was already clear that Macron was determined to exclude the left from power.Find an earlier interview Jacobin conducted with Bruno, about Macron forming a right-wing bloc, here: https://jacobin.com/2022/04/emmanuel-macron-election-neoliberalism-france-right-leftLong Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s longform writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.

Featuring Amna Akbar, Gabe Winant, and Thea Riofrancos on the American political conjuncture: the centrality of Palestine, the contradictions of left electoralism, renewed liberal militarism, the return of Obama-ism, the state of the labor and climate movements—and more. Recorded live at Socialism 2024 in Chicago. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDigBuy Unbuild Walls at haymarketbooks.org Subscribe to Jacobin in print for $15/yr at bit.ly/digjacobin and Catalyst in print for $20/yr at bit.ly/digcatalyst

Robert Pausch of Die Zeit talks about the far right’s strong showing in German regional elections. Rob Larson, author of Mastering the Universe, looks at the obscene wealth of the superrich.Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global. Find the archive online: https://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/radio.html

What if a movie about a corporate merger became the most popular movie of the year? Friends, you don't have to imagine it. We discuss DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (2024) and ponder the question that Vulture asked: "Is Shawn Levy the Future of Populist Filmmaking?"Michael and Us is a podcast about political cinema and our crumbling world hosted by Will Sloan and Luke Savage.

Featuring Abdel Razzaq Takriti, this is the first of a two-part epilogue to Thawra (Revolution), our series on Arab radicalism in the 20th century. Today’s installment covers the Iranian Islamic Revolution’s huge impact across the Arab East alongside Saudi and Egyptian efforts to foster religious conservative movements in an effort to supplant and suppress the secular nationalist left. Plus the Iran-Iraq War, the mujahideen in Afghanistan, the First Intifada, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, the first US-led invasion of Iraq, and the PLO’s march toward the Oslo Accords–and how Hamas and Islamic Jihad stepped into the resulting vacuum, picking up a Palestinian armed struggle the PLO had renounced.Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDigBuy Nuclear Is Not The Solution at versobooks.comBuy The Wannabe Fascists at UCPress.edu

Naomi Hossain explains the uprising in Bangladesh that deposed PM Shekih Hasina. Then Sandipto Dasgupta, author of Legalizing the Revolution, examines the transformation of India from colony to nation through the drafting of its constitution.

Journalist Marc Cooper and historian Robert Brenner, two long-time left socialists, join Suzi to talk about the state of the election after a knockout convention that lifted spirits and Kamala Harris’ chances to defeat Trump. The convention was historic in several ways: it was pro-union and the speakers were younger and more openly progressive on issues that matter. It also appeared to unite the old neoliberal wing of the party with the more radical base, emphasizing unity in the fight to protect the freedoms under attack. Judging by the polls, candidates Harris-Walz successfully walked the delicate tightrope that is internal Democratic politics but this meant downplaying both Palestinian issues and climate catastrophe.  Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

A Democratic National Convention takes place against a backdrop of protests against American imperial atrocities overseas... that's right, we're travelling back in time to 1968 with Haskell Wexler's MEDIUM COOL (1969). PLUS: So, have you heard about the DNC?Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - www.patreon.com/michaelandus"This National Post Columnist Says He Spied for a Foreign Intelligence Agency" by Luke LeBrun - https://pressprogress.ca/this-national-post-columnist-says-he-spied-for-a-foreign-intelligence-agency-experts-call-his-behaviour-unethical-and-absurd/"Medium Cool: Preserving Disorder" by Thomas Beard - https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2773-medium-cool-preserving-disorder"The New Yorker Political Scene Scene" podcast with special guest Will - https://rss.com/podcasts/newyorkerpoliticalscenescene/1619477/Michael and Us is a podcast about political cinema and our crumbling world hosted by Will Sloan and Luke Savage.