Show Notes
Stay tuned for our upcoming series on the Fall of France, where our first-ever guest Sam will be walking us through the interwar period through the installation of a Nazi puppet-state - Part 1 drops Monday!
What does the upcoming election mean for Europe? What is it like to vote from abroad in blue states where elections are uncontested and the presidential outcome predetermined? What is the Orphans' Court? Why is the Harris campaign not talking enough about abortion rights? Why has the Biden administration allowed the Republicans to dominate the courts and overturn Roe v. Wade with impunity? What do Donald Trump and Benyamin Netanyahou have in common? Why is Elon Musk building a data center to train an AI-model named "grok" while the company is just days away from receivership? Why do older generations of progressives not see the writing on the wall despite having lived through Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden? We answer some of these questions to varying degrees with our guest Sam on this more casual episode of the Royal Palace Podcast.
More from Royal Palace Podcast
For the past several weeks, high school students have mobilised in huge numbers, blockading their schools to demand the basic essentials of an education. As the movement grows, teachers and education staff have gone on strike, unions are backing protests across the country, and the Yellow Vests hope to make a comeback. Where will it all lead? Photo : Jules*, « Manifestation lycéenne et étudiante du 6 octobre 2026 à Paris 023 », Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, recadrée.
Marlon Ettinger joins us to discuss "Faced With Record Fires, France Skimps on Fire Crews" (Jacobin), on how French austerity has starved the fire service just as climate change makes catastrophic wildfires the norm, leading to an upcoming round of firefighter-lead protests.
France is in its third heatwave of the year. With more than 1,000 deaths recorded so far, climate inaction and the lack of adaptation give way to a culture war over air conditioning.
The second round of the municipal elections has come and gone, and we’re joined by journalist Marlon Ettinger to break down the results. Did LFI secure the victory it was hoping for? Did the far-right National Rally outperform Macron’s so-called center? Why does the PS still exist? And why is everyone so racist toward Bally Bagayoko, the newly elected mayor of Saint-Denis?
Every six years, voters in 34,935 municipalities elect city councilors, who then go on to elect their mayor. This year, La France Insoumise made significant gains in key areas, while the Socialist Party failed to rise to the occasion in the largest cities. We discuss the results of the first of two rounds and explain how the system works in France.