Dr Catherine Fieschi on the Le Pens, French politics, and lessons to be learnt from populism
Description
‘Populism has taught us that politics is not just about being technocrats and that politicians cannot just govern through Excel spreadsheets.’
In this episode, Manas Chawla interviews Dr Catherine Fieschi about her encounters with Jean-Marie and Marine Le Pen and the factors that have led to the latter's mainstreaming. She also discusses with Manas the decomposition of the French party system since Emmanuel Macron came to office in 2016, as well as the lessons that populism can teach us about the role of the state and the meaning of politics. Dr Fieschi’s extensive research into populism makes for a very insightful conversation about the populist wave and the ways in which it alters traditional perceptions of politics.
Dr Fieschi is the founder and executive director of Counterpoint Global, a research and advisory group that helps businesses, governments, and NGOs navigate a new age of social and political risk. She is also a senior advisor at Macro Advisory Partners and a former director of the think tank Demos. Her published work includes Populocracy: The Tyranny of Authenticity and the Rise of Populism and Fascism, Populism and the French Fifth Republic: In the Shadow of Democracy.
United States
