Jacobin Radio Jacobin Radio: Block Everything w/ Sebastian Budgen
17 snips
Sep 16, 2025 
Join Sebastian Budgen, an expert on French politics and editor at Verso Books, as he dives into the recent upheaval in France following the fall of Prime Minister Bayrou's government. He discusses the vibrant 'Block Everything' movement uniting unions and activists against Macron's austerity measures. Meanwhile, Joe Allen, a former Teamster, sheds light on the complexities within the Teamsters Union and the implications of a near-strike at UPS, exploring how political ties influence modern labor dynamics in the U.S.
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Parliamentary Defeat Fueled By Street Pressure
- The Bayreau government fell after a parliamentary vote of no confidence under pressure from the mobilization.
- New right‑wing prime ministers keep being appointed despite the left winning electoral ground.
Left Unity Won Votes, Not Government Seats
- The New Popular Front united radical left forces and outperformed media expectations in 2024 elections.
- Macron ignored that result when appointing successive center-right prime ministers.
France Is Highly Polarized And Unstable
- The far right has growing structural strength even as a united left blocks an immediate landslide.
- France sits in a volatile balance between entrenched far-right gains and energized left unity.
