Fear of a Yellow Vest Planet: The Gilets Jaunes and the Battle for the Future of France

The Yellow Vest protests that were ignited in France in 2018 have been a radical challenge to the extension of the market into all areas of social life. The book examines the radical democratic and egalitarian ideas generated by the movement and defends it from its many critics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 172 pages
Publication date: 29 June 2021
Publisher: Lexington Books

The Yellow Vest (Gilets Jaunes) protests that started in November 2018 have rocked French political culture and led critics to denounce the movement as being a threat to democracy, or worse. Among other things the protestors were accused of being barbarians, philistines, racists, anti-Semites and reactionaries who would destroy both France and European civilization. In fact, this book argues that the protests must be understood as part of a wave of protests against the extension of the market into all areas of social life that have been taking place around the world since the 1980s. While the Yellow Vest protests embrace a range of actors that cut across the French political spectrum the agenda that rapidly emerged from the movement in the shape of the ‘People’s Directive’ shows that it is a broadly progressive protest that has articulated radical ideas and practices with a view to transforming French political culture by means of direct democracy. The end goal is to be a new social order which is environmentally sustainable and built around principles of social justice. In this respect its ideas and actions are a challenge to mainstream French political culture.

Weight: 418g
Dimension: 159 x 236 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793610256