France's Unrest Deepens: Could Marine Le Pen Benefit Politically?
A student protest in France over rising energy prices has grown into a radical movement. Welt correspondent Martina Meister discusses in a podcast what a possible shift to the right would mean for European security and German-French relations.
Street protests in France that began as a student action have been fuelled by rising energy prices and turned into a radical movement. Rubbish bins are burning and shop windows are boarded up, while the crowds include Yellow Vest sympathisers, anarchists and young people from the banlieues, the country's suburban housing districts.
According to Martina Meister, Paris-based correspondent for the German newspaper Welt, President Emmanuel Macron is increasingly losing control of the crisis and looks like a pilot without a cockpit. Meanwhile, far-right politician Marine Le Pen is positioning herself skilfully as the candidate of order. The political centre in France is crumbling, and heavy state debt is limiting the government's room for manoeuvre.
What it means for Europe
In the podcast, Meister speaks with journalist Rixa Fürsen about what a possible swing to the right in France would mean for Europe's security architecture. The conversation also touches on the already strained relationship between Germany and France.
The discussion was published in Berlin Playbook, the podcast of POLITICO's German edition, released every morning from 5 a.m. It is produced by Rixa Fürsen, Maximilian Stascheit and the POLITICO team. The outlet also offers a Berlin Playbook newsletter summarising the main topics and analysis each morning.
The source gives no further detail on the scale of the protests, the number of participants or specific government decisions. It is only a programme description, and the detailed arguments are in the conversation itself.
