Listen on

Spotify

France’s student protests have turned into the country’s worst unrest in years. Schools have been set alight, thousands of shops looted, and curfews imposed in several cities. With a presidential election six months away, Zoe Sankey talks to Louis Sarkozy in Paris about what’s driving it.

Louis explains why he thinks rioters in France rarely face consequences, and who is actually out on the streets, from black blocs to what’s left of the Gilets jaunes. He argues the chaos is handing Marine Le Pen the presidency. They also talk about France’s long history of revolution, Michel Houellebecq, the Palestinian “omnicause”, and the death threats Louis says he received after celebrating Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah.

Louis Sarkozy is the son of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy. He studied at Valley Forge Military Academy, NYU and American University, and is the author of Napoleon’s Library (2024). He is a regular contributor to The Spectator UK.