The Rise of the Degrowther Right
A new conservative environmentalism that blends anti-modernism with nationalism and austerity is spreading across Europe.
239 Articles by: David Broder
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David Broder is Jacobin’s Europe editor and a historian of French and Italian communism.
The German Election in Ten Graphs
On Sunday, Germany voted in a federal election that saw massive growth in support for the far-right AfD, resurgence of the socialist Die Linke party, and more losses of working-class votes for the Social Democrats. These ten graphs explain what happened.
Good Riddance, Jean-Marie Le Pen
At his life’s end, Jean-Marie Le Pen had been expelled from the party that he helped found. Yet this Holocaust denier and former torturer left behind an important legacy: making the far right into a major force in French political life.
In Italy, the Far Right Exploits a Hollowed-Out Democracy
Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government is riding roughshod over basic democratic standards. This isn’t just because of her party’s fascist roots; it’s the end point of a long-term process that has placed the key economic decisions beyond popular control.
Can Germany’s Die Linke Revive Itself?
In October, Die Linke elected new leadership, which promises to reconnect with working-class voters. With German elections planned for early 2025, they face a race against time to change the party’s culture.
Macronism Is Dying
The no-confidence vote in Michel Barnier’s government highlights the failure of Emmanuel Macron’s neoliberal project. Far from reviving the liberal center, the president has pitched France into a historic political crisis.
In Ireland’s Election, Sinn Féin Didn’t Shine
Ireland’s election saw little enthusiasm for the ruling parties — but also a weakened score for opposition force Sinn Féin. Its message on housing hardened its youth support, but it was unable to build out its base across Irish society.
It’s Time to End the War in Ukraine
Ukraine’s military position is worsening, and there are signs of fatigue on the home front. A tit-for-tat escalation between Washington and Moscow would be disastrous for Ukrainians and for us all.
Die Linke Has to Be a Party for the Working Class
Ines Schwerdtner is the newly elected cochair of German left-wing party Die Linke. In an interview with Jacobin, she explains how she wants to reconnect the party with a working-class base.
Israeli Fans Meant It When They Chanted “Death to Arabs”
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans rioting in Amsterdam chanted slogans like “There are no schools in Gaza, as there are no children left.” Far from just extremist provocations, their slogans tell the truth about Israeli war aims.
Identity Crisis
The global left has moved away from social class as an organizing identity, allowing the Right to peddle a working-class identity politics untethered from the socialist vision.
Marine Le Pen Sets the Agenda for France’s Government
In the name of constructive opposition, Marine Le Pen has issued her conditions for tolerating new prime minister Michel Barnier. Her party wants to show it’s ready for high office — but is vaguer about its stance on Barnier’s austerity plans.
The Damage Gerry Healy Wrought
Head of one of the biggest far-left groups in 1970s Britain, Gerry Healy was accused of rape and sexual abuse. A new biography reflects on the swamp from which he emerged — and how his group’s authoritarian model facilitated his crimes.
In Today’s Russia, Dissent Means Keeping Hope Alive
In Russia, signs of opposition to the war in Ukraine haven’t developed into a mass movement. State repression has closed off the avenues of mass politics, forcing dissidents into mainly symbolic protests.
Michel Barnier Is in Office, Marine Le Pen Will Hold Power
Emmanuel Macron has appointed Michel Barnier as France’s prime minister, after securing Marine Le Pen’s agreement. The creation of a government reliant on her blessing is another step in the far right’s march toward power.
Emmanuel Macron Is Refusing to Allow the Left to Govern
Emmanuel Macron has ruled out appointing a government led by the biggest force in parliament, the left-wing New Popular Front. His refusal confirms a case long made by the Left: it’s time to get rid of the French president’s monarchical powers.
We Who Plowed the Prairies
Pastoral visions of farmwork don’t square with the reality of what it means to live in rural areas today.
Emmanuel Macron Has Handed Victory to the Far Right
Marine Le Pen’s allies celebrated a major advance in the opening round of France’s elections. Emmanuel Macron’s snap election gamble was a miscalculation — but the far right’s rise is also a product of his whole presidency.
Europe’s Center Is Holding — by Integrating the Far Right
This weekend’s European elections saw a swing to the right, including big gains for anti-immigration parties. In most cases, far-right forces have abandoned calls to leave the EU — but they are increasingly able to set the bloc’s own agenda.
Spain’s Socialist Party Has Survived but Is Still in Danger
Spain’s Socialist Party is Europe’s strongest center-left force, easily winning last Sunday’s Catalan elections. But it’s gaining at the expense of its own coalition partners, whose weakness risks bringing Pedro Sánchez’s broad-left government to its knees.