Hello classmates and welcome to Thinking Class. Today I'm speaking with Dr. Frank Furedi. Frank is an author, social commentator and Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent. Author of more than 26 books, Frank's studies have been devoted to an exploration of the cultural developments in Western societies.
In recent years, he has published several studies on the impact of the culture wars on family life, socialisation, education, and public life.
n this episode, Frank and I talk about what the recent shift toward populist, sovereigntist parties in the European parliament elections means for Europe, how it may be the beginning of a replacement of the current political class, as we spoke about in episode 10 of Thinking Class, the 2024 French presidential elections, and how feelings of estrangement and dispossession are driving this populist wave; the response of the politicians, parties and institutions in danger of being swept up by it and the methods they're employing in a bid to hold on to power; how Gen-Z and younger generations appear to be yearning for tradition and national identity, rather than naturally inclining to left-liberal ideas; why the old left and old right seem to be cooperating to overthrow the current status quo; the universal recognition across Europe that the close alliance between leftism and Islam is not a good thing; whether France is skirting with civil war, the threat of 'financial terrorism' to torpedo any Rassemblement National government; whether the attempt to keep populist parties down is delaying the inevitable; why populist parties need a co co co coherent governing strategy should they win power to be successful in the long term; the need to preserve Western civilisation and its cultural heritage, and what Frank has changed his mind on in the course of his life.
I really enjoyed being able to welcome Frank back to the channel. Back onto the show, he's straight talking and he's got an uncanny ability to boil down political developments and philosophical concepts, practically and in bite-sized ways. There is a lot I can learn on that front. If you haven't listened to episode 10, where Frank also features them, please do so because it's a natural precursor to this one.
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#033 - Frank Furedi - What The Populist Surge In The EU Tells Us About The Future Of Politics