Podcast: far-right semantics, 'green' nuclear energy, French baby benefits

Dissecting the nationalist and racist language of presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, France's push to label nuclear energy as green. And the origins of family aid policies that have supported France's high birth rate for over 90 years.

Spotlight on France, episode 70 © RFI

One of France's 12 presidential candidates is the unashamedly xenophobic, anti-Islam writer and political pundit Eric Zemmour, whose popularity partially stems from his way with words. Using literary and historical references, he puts a positive spin on some of France’s more difficult historical moments, praising colonialism or claiming the Vichy regime protected French Jews. Semiologist Cécile Alduy (@cecilealduy), author of La langue de Zemmour (The language of Zemmour), has dissected the structure of his discourses. She talks about how this enables him to advance his political and ideological ambitions and how he has differentiated himself from the other far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. (Listen @3'10'')

Even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine – which has called Europe's dependence on Russian natural gas into question – energy prices were soaring in France. As Europe now looks for alternatives to gas, France's reliance on nuclear as its major energy source puts it in a unique position. President Emmanuel Macron recently touted nuclear as the way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and has backed a European Commission proposal to label nuclear energy a “green” investment. But some climate activists have called this greenwashing. French Greens MEP Marie Toussaint (@marietouss1) says France's dependence on nuclear hinders a real revolution in its energy economy, and will hamper its long-term emissions goals. (Listen @19'20'')

The "allocations familiales" or family allowance is a cornerstone of France's social benefits system. The monthly stipend is universal and increases with the number of children. The benefits were officially introduced with a law on 11 March 1932, though their roots go back to WW1 when France's declining birth rate became a cause for concern. (Listen @13'30'')

This episode was mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, iTunes (link here), Spotify (link here), Google podcasts (link here), or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878).