Marlon talks with Dr. Vladimir Bortun, a lecturer in politics at St. John’s College at the University of Oxford about the French connection to the recent Romanian Presidential election results. We talk about the far right’s accusations of French (and Moldovan) interference in the election, the historical links between the countries, and the politics of language and accents. We also get into what the election was actually about, the attitude of Romanian liberals to the West, and who votes for who and why in Romania.
All that and more on this episode of Flep24/7.
Show Notes
Romania Is About to Experience Disaster | The New York Times (en)
Accusations of French Intelligence Interference by Pavel Durov | Tweet, May 18th (en)
French Diplomacy Denies Durov’s Claims | Tweet, May 18th (fr)
En Roumanie, l’armée française passe à la vitesse supérieure | Le Figaro (fr)
En Roumanie, la colère contre le libéralisme de Bruxelles nourrit le poujadisme | Le Vent Se Lève (fr)v
‘We Didn’t Know What We Were Eating Tomorrow’: How Class Origin Shapes the Political Outlook of Members of the Parliament in Britain | Political Studies (en)
The Economic Backgrounds of Politicians | Annual Review of Political Science (en)
Taking back control: comprador bankers and managerial developmentalism in Poland | Review of International Political Economy (en)
More Context From Flep24/7
Bourgeois Bloc Blues w/ Bruno Amable | (en)
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Olly and Marlon hop on the mic to discuss the new revelations in the Betharram Affair and its implications for the government, the PS Congress and the failure of unity on the left.
Show Notes
Marlon's reporting on the 2023 PS congress
https://jacobin.com/2023/02/france-socialist-party-melenchon-nupes-hamon-left-change
Olly's review of Hollande and Melenchon's books
https://newintermag.com/melenchon-vs-hollande/
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We go deep on Marine Le Pen’s conviction, and discuss the byzantine byways of the French legal system in this crossover episode with Liam & Patrick from the Royal Palace Podcast.
We get into the case against Le Pen, her party, and her eurodeputies, who were convicted on charges of embezzlement. We also get into the legality of her ineligibility penalty, and just how the French appeals process works. Is this lawfare? (It depends on how you describe it).
All this and more on today’s episode of Flep24/7.
To hear more from Liam & Patrick, check out the Royal Palace Podcast over at their website, or wherever you download podcasts from.
Show Notes
We Should Know by Now. The Courts Aren’t Going to Stop Trump and His Kind | The New York Times (en)
March 31st, 2025 extracts from the court’s deliberation | Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris (fr)
September 30, 2024 press dossier on the National Front European parliamentary assistants affair | Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris (fr)
More Context From Flep24/7 and the Royal Palace Podcast
French law | RPP (en)
12 angry men, 1 angry woman (Le Pen Convicted) | Flep24 (en)
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France and Algeria’s diplomatic falling out continues, with many of the developments fueled by domestic political agendas. François Bayrou rang the alarm on France’s budget deficit which means one thing is coming: cuts. And we take a look at an editorial by Marianne’s new editor, as well as some of the behind-the-scenes political developments in the French press.
Show Notes
Quand l'Azerbaïdjan envoie une "carte postale" à Emmanuel Macron | Marc Endeweld’s Substack (fr)
François Bayrou : « Ceux qui choisiraient l’instabilité et le désordre nuiraient gravement à notre pays » | Le Parisien (fr)
Ève Szeftel : "Une autre voie est possible, et c'est le PS britannique qui la montre" | Marianne (fr)
Pourquoi j'ai dû quitter @MarianneleMag | Quentin Müller’s Twitter (fr)
More Context From Flep24/7
European Rearmament, and Retirement Retiring | (en)
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Olly and Marlon hop on the mic for a quick one breaking down the Le Pen conviction and the reactions to it.
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Olly and Marlon get on the mic to discuss far right politicians taking the mickey with expenses, the government trying to restrict Muslim women's ability to wear the veil even further, the internal politics of the socialist party and a potential future referendum.
https://www.liberation.fr/politique/voile-dans-le-sport-bayrou-recadre-les-ministres-opposes-a-linterdiction-20250318_LILTWSZZZVEYDJWHEE456KLCBQ/
https://www.lecanardenchaine.fr/breves/la-mare-aux-canards/828-12-mars-2025
More Context From Flep24/7
Party like it's 2005 w/ Stathis Kouvelakis | (en)
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European rearmament is back on the table after the United States moves away from the continent with Donald Trump as president. Marlon & Olly discuss how various forces in French politics are responding to the call for a new European military order, as well as how the government is justifying its refusal to negotiate on the retirement age by pointing to a need for more military spending.
Show Notes
France’s “War Economy” Is a Prelude to Cutting the Welfare State | source (en)
Trump’s turn against Europe is Macron’s opportunity | Prospect Magazine (en)
More Context From Flep24/7
Party like it's 2005 w/ Stathis Kouvelakis | (en)
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Marlon and Olly are joined once again by La France Insoumise MP Nathalie Oziol to discuss the strategy that the party is putting into motion for the municipal elections in 2026.
They talk about rebuilding red bases, which cities LFI will target, what an LFI city will look like and there's a bit of discussion at the end about the tidal wave of violent threats that the party gets.
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Olly and Marlon hop on the mic to discuss Ruffin, Retaillau and Villepin itching to run for president, LFI reaching out to the Greens, Manuel Valls' frosty welcome in New Caledonia and the drumbeat of political violence targeted against the left and Muslims.
Show notes:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific/542779/manuel-valls-in-new-caledonia-war-of-words-and-clashes-over-independence-talks
https://x.com/HugoCouturier/status/1894658665350926705
https://actu.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/lyon_69123/municipales-2026-a-lyon-la-france-insoumise-propose-une-alliance-avec-les-ecologistes_62290617.html
https://jacobin.com/2025/02/france-palestine-kazib-authoritarian-terrorism
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Revelations into the Bétharram affair continue to pile up, with reporting about a possible intervention by French Prime Minister François Bayrou into the case, as well as ministerial level abandonment of holding private Catholic schools to account.
Plus, is Chirac’s former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin about to jump into the 2027 presidential race?All this and more on today’s episode of Flep24/7.
Show Notes
Affaire Bétharram : le procureur de Pau annonce trois interpellations ce mercredi pour des faits de viols, agressions sexuelles et violences | La République des Pyrénées (fr)
Ange Mur Video Clip | Elodie Dievart Tweet, February 19th (fr)
Notre-Dame-de-Bétharram : un établissement hors de tout contrôle | Mediapart (fr)
Affaire des viols de 1998 : François Bayrou cerné par deux témoignages convergents | Mediapart (fr)
More Context From Flep24/7
François Bayrou’s Coverup, and the 2027 Election | (en)
A Confident Government, a Shaken Bayrou, and Answered Questions | (en)
The NFP is Over, says Jean-Luc Mélenchon | (en)
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Olly and Marlon are joined by the Marxist academic and activist Stathis Kouvelakis for an in depth discussion on how the far right rose to prominence in France, the aftershocks of the 2005 EU constitutional referendum, race, class and the strategy of the left and why LFI is better than Syriza. Stathis is on the editorial board of the communist review Contretemps, trains LFI cadres in Marxism at Institut La Boetie and was part of the leadership of Syriza.
Stathis' article on race and class in Contretemps https://www.contretemps.eu/alliance-tours-bourgs-antiracisme-classe/
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The Socialist Party has broken the New Popular Front alliance, Jean-Luc Mélenchon said at a political meeting in Paris this evening.
Show Notes
Notre-Dame-de-Bétharram : un établissement hors de tout contrôle | Mediapart (fr)
Affaire Bétharram : le malaise grandit dans le camp présidentiel | Mediapart (fr)
More Context From Flep24/7
A Confident Government, a Shaken Bayrou, and Answered Questions | (en)
François Bayrou’s Coverup, and the 2027 Election | (en)
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Reporting from Mediapart about French Prime Minister François Bayrou’s knowledge of allegations of sexual assault at a private Catholic school in his backyard continue to pile up, as well as calls in the National Assembly for Bayrou to account for lying about that knowledge.
In the meantime, a no-confidence vote failed against the government over its passage of the social security financing bill. Neither the Socialist Party, nor the National Rally censored Bayrou’s government, so it’s hanging on for now.All that and more, on this episode of Flap24/7.
Show Notes
Viols à Bétharram : Bayrou a menti, Mediapart publie de nouveaux documents | Mediapart (fr))
Le juge saisi des viols à Betharram : « En 1998, j’ai confirmé à François Bayrou que les faits étaient patents et établis »| Mediapart (fr)
L’Assemblée nationale repousse une troisième motion de censure sur le budget de la Sécurité sociale | Le Figaro (fr)
LCP, February 12th | Tweet, @LCP (fr)
Ilan Gabet, February 12th | Tweet, @Ilangabet (fr)
More Context From Flep24/7
François Bayrou’s Coverup, and the 2027 Election | (en)
New Popular Fracture | (en)
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François Bayrou is confronted on the floor of the National Assembly over allegations that he didn’t protect students who were abused, physically and sexually, for decades at the private Catholic school where his wife taught. Bayrou denies any knowledge of the allegations, and says he’s be suing Mediapart, who reported on the case last week.
And Gérald Darmanin, the hard-line Justice Minister, wants to avoid a Le Pen-Mélenchon runoff in 2027. He says the way to avoid that is a primary for the governmental camp, which could include the hard-line Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau entering the contest.
All that and more, on today’s episode of Flep24/7.
Show Notes
Darmanin s’y voit | Politico Playbook (fr)
Viols sur mineurs à Bétharram : les mensonges de Bayrou pour défendre une institution catholique | Mediapart (fr)
Marlon J. Ettinger, February 6th | @MarlonEttinger, Tweet (en)
Paul Vannier, February 5th | @PaulVannierFI (fr)
More Context From Flep24/7
Prime Minister François Bayrou: France’s Last Macronist, And Its First | December 14th, 2024(en)
Attal’s Socialist Turn Against the RN? | July 4th, 2024 (en)
Édouard Phillippe 2027, and The Socialist Party in 2024 | September 4th, 2024 (en)
Sad Young Man In Matignon | August 25th, 2024 (en)
Attal’s Grand Coalition on the Horizons | August 14th, 2024
Coalition Negotiations | July 10th, 2024 (en)
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Nicolas Sarkozy is filmed jogging with an ankle bracelet, there’s controversy on the far-right over scores being settled from 2022, and an RN mayor’s headed for trial over alleged corruption (which he denies).
Show Notes
IA plus qu’à | Politico Playbook (fr)
Les images du premier jogging de Nicolas Sarkozy sous bracelet électronique | Tweet, BFMTV (fr)
Nicolas Sarkozy, February 8th | Nicolas Sarkozy, Twitter (fr)
Affaire des écoutes : après sa condamnation, Nicolas Sarkozy annonce mettre «entre parenthèses» ses activités publiques | Le Figaro (fr)
Sarkozy condamné: 254 pages de jugement face au vide de la com’ | Mediapart (fr)
18 décembre 2024 Cour de cassation Pourvoi n° 23-83.178 | Cour de Cassation (fr)
Families of airliner bomb victims want their voices heard at Sarkzoy-Gaddafi funding trial | Mediapart (en)
Bruno North, February 8th | Bruno North, Twitter (fr)
Thomas Montagne, February 8th | Thomas Montagne (fr)
CNIP (Centre National des Indépendants et Paysans), February 8th | CNIP, Facebook post (fr)
Le vice-président du RN David Rachline sera jugé pour prise illégale d’intérêts | Mediapart (fr)
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There’s a debate on in France today about birthright citizenship, and politicians all across the right, the center-right, the republican right, the right of the center-right and the right of the left of the center agree that something needs to change, and that debates on birthright citizenship should not be taboo.
Outside of that, Flep24/7 takes a look at Macron’s plans for artificial intelligence and referendums, including the state of a referendum on immigration, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s op-ed about ChatGPT and French artificial intelligence.
Show Notes
Le débat de Bayrou, la question de Macron | Politico Playbook (fr)
Droit du sol: Bayrou veut un “débat public plus large” sur ce que “c’est d’être français” | BMFRMC (fr)
Droit du sol: Darmanin demande, à sa propre initiative, l’ouverture d’un débat à l’échelle nationale | BFMRMC (fr)
Jean-Luc Mélenchon : «Emmanuel Macron transforme la France en colonie numérique» | le Figaro (fr)
More Context From Flep24/7
| (en)
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Flep24/7 was out this week with the champagne left, eating caviar, and getting some insights into LFI. You’ll hear about it here, as well as Sunday’s municipal election with Louis Boyard.
All that and more—and plenty more episodes to come in 2025 from Flep24/7.
More Context From Flep24/7
Bourgeois Bloc Blues w/ Bruno Amable | (en)
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In a stunning return to form the PS has decided to abandon its previous promises and become the crutch for the Macronist Bayrou government.
Eric Zemmour is getting ready to go to Washington and Mélenchon is seeking his 500 signatures to run for president.
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Flep24 is back with a new name—Flep24/7—after a long winter break marked by illness and despair…but French political news never stops. The patriarch of the National Rally is dead, it’s the 10th anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, and the Socialist Party looks like it’s going to betray the left wing alliance. We talk about Jean-Marie Le Pen’s assiduously documented history of torture, debates on the left about Charlie, and debates on the left (and the Socialist Party) about collaborating with the new government.
All that and more—and plenty more episodes to come in 2025 from Flep24/7.
Show Notes
Pendant la guerre d'Algérie, un monsieur sans gégène à la torture facile | Le Canard enchaîné (fr)
Sur les camps de concentration, le point de détail qui tue | Le Canard enchaîné (fr)
La nuit des longues fourchettes | melenchon.fr (fr)
Le jour des petites cuillères | melenchon.fr (fr)
Ce jour-là | melenchon.fr (fr)
Philippe Val: «Dix ans après Charlie, passer son temps à pleurnicher reviendrait à trahir ceux qui sont morts» | Le Figaro (fr)
Mort de Jean-Marie Le Pen : l'Élysée présente ses condoléances, l'extrême droite lui rend hommage | France24 (fr)
Législative partielle en Isère : vers un "match retour" entre LFI et Ensemble au second tour | franceinfo (fr)
More Context From Flep24/7
A Media in Need of Critique w/ Pauline Bock | (en)
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Olly and Marlon hop back on the mic to discuss Le Monde's stunning revelation that Macron is actually quite racist, a fact that a cursory listen to FLEP would have revealed to you.
We also talk about the devastation in Mayotte and the break-in at Mélenchon's house.
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