Drawing on a wealth of empirical data, Manuel Cervera-Marzal proposes a clear definition of left-wing populism and its strengths and weaknesses, providing a sturdy frame for analyzing major issues in contemporary politics both in France and abroad.
This book is the first sociological inquiry to be devoted to “La France Insoumise.” Far from being uniquely French, this movement founded by Jean-Luc Mélenchon is part of an international trend that saw a new political phenomenon emerge in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis: left-wing populism. Like Bernie Sanders, Jeremy Corbyn, Pablo Iglesias, or even Alexis Tsipras, the leader of Rebellious France has applied unprecedented strategies to redefine the rules of the political game.
Manuel Cervera-Marzal is a sociologist and philosopher at the University of Liège. He is the author of seven books, including: Post-vérité. Pourquoi il faut s’en réjouir (Post-Truth: Reasons to Rejoice, Le Bord de l’eau, 2019) and Pour un suicide des intellectuels (In Favor of Intellectual Suicide, Textuel, 2016). He is also a contributor to the program 28 Minutes on the Arte network and L’esprit public on France Culture. As a journalist, he specializes in the life of the mind for the independent media site Hors-Série (www.hors-serie.net).