First Water, Then Wine
Spiritual needs are more likely to be satiated if the basics — food, clothing, shelter, and employment — are met first.
218 Articles by: David Broder
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David Broder is Jacobin’s Europe editor and a historian of French and Italian communism.
“Debt Is to Capitalism What Hell Is to Christianity”
A new series with Yanis Varoufakis explains how elites used the financial crisis to terrorize Europe’s populations into submission. In an interview, he tells Jacobin why the anti-austerity movement failed and why the center is converging with the far right.
St Valentine’s Hometown Has Fallen Out of Love With the Left
Each February 14, tourists flock to Terni, Italy, hometown of third-century martyr Saint Valentine. Yet Terni’s “city of love” identity is itself rather new, as politicians seek tourist dollars to replace its once-mighty steelworks.
Italy’s Far-Right Government Is Relitigating World War II
Far-right Italian premier Giorgia Meloni likes to claim her party has “left fascism in the past.” Yet the announcement of a new museum honoring Italian victims of Yugoslav partisans represents a disturbing attempt to rewrite the history of World War II.
African Unity Can’t Take Place on France’s Terms
Last Sunday, the military rulers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger quit West African economic union ECOWAS. It’s a major blow to the regional integration project — and a rebuke to Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to interfere in France’s former colonies.
France’s Tractor Protesters Have Reason to Be Angry
As protesting farmers drive their tractors toward Paris, many in the media speak of a rural revolt. But not all farmers are on the same side, as ordinary producers complain of being crushed by unequal subsidies and factory farms who skirt environmental rules.
France’s Change of Prime Minister Won’t Revive Emmanuel Macron’s Government
Emmanuel Macron has appointed 34-year-old Gabriel Attal as France’s new prime minister. The bid to give his government a new progressive face suffers one big problem: French people haven’t forgotten its deeply anti-social record.
Giorgia Meloni and Rishi Sunak’s Anti-Migrant Line Is the New Mainstream
Giorgia Meloni and Rishi Sunak’s extremist views on immigration are quickly finding foothold among European centrists, in a desperate, xenophobic attempt to create political blocs ahead of the European elections in June.
Marine Le Pen’s Far Right Is Netanyahu-Washing Its Antisemitism
Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National claims to be a “shield for Jews,” even though the party promotes antisemitic theories. Dividing Jews into “good” Israeli nationalists and “bad” cosmopolitans produces a modern revival of an old antisemitism.
For France’s Left, Robespierre’s Democratic Radicalism Is as Necessary as Ever
The French monarchy was abolished this day in 1792. Left-wing MP Antoine Léaument explains why the values of the French Revolution can still be an inspiration for the Republic — and why Maximilien Robespierre has been wrongly cast as a violent monster.
Why Germany Struggled to Reckon With the Nazi Past
For decades after 1945, the victims of Nazism’s crimes had less of a voice in West German society than the perpetrators. Germany’s much-credited reckoning with the Nazi past was a long time coming — but most of the criminals were never brought to justice.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon: We’re in Danger Because the Government No Longer Controls the Police
Emmanuel Macron’s party has accused an “incendiary” left of stirring up violent protests after the police murder of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk. For left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the problem is the government’s failure to rein in unaccountable police.
France’s Left Has Finally Woken Up to Racist Police Violence
France’s left has often failed to speak up for marginalized minorities. But after the backlash over the police murder of 17-year-old Nahel, left-wing parties have taken a clear stance, refusing to condemn rioters and insisting their anger is justified.
Silvio Berlusconi Was the Iconic Political Figure of Our Times
Silvio Berlusconi, who died today at age 86, centered Italian politics on his TV empire and brought the far right to power. A predecessor to Donald Trump, he remains the ultimate icon of the sidelining of democracy by media power.
Yanis Varoufakis: Greece’s Debt Is More Unsustainable Than Ever
Ahead of Greece’s general election on Sunday, the business press claims that the country is bouncing back from its years of austerity. Yanis Varoufakis tells Jacobin why, for ordinary Greeks, the situation is only getting worse.
Giorgia Meloni’s Government Is “Both-Sidesing” Italy’s Fascist Past
Italy’s far-right government has driven a wave of historical falsification. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s call to turn today’s anti-fascist resistance anniversary into a generic celebration of “freedom” shows how it is trying to erase opposition to fascism from history.
In “the Land of the Revolution,” Emmanuel Macron Can’t Just Ignore the Popular Will
Emmanuel Macron says it’s time to “pacify” tensions over his pension reform — yet today’s mobilization looks to be the biggest yet. France Insoumise’s Manon Aubry told Jacobin how the movement is challenging Macron’s antidemocratic way of governing.
Cheese, Baguettes, and Victor Hugo
France’s right wing claims “Islamo-leftism” is subverting their national culture. But “Frenchness” has always been in flux.
Technocrats in Suits, Not Blackshirts, Rule Europe
The fascist-inspired government in Italy, like the far-right government in Hungary, is part of European neoliberalism, not an alternative to it.
Taking Back Left Parties From the Brahmins
Across Western countries, the decline in class-based voting isn’t inevitable: it results from political choices.