France’s Start-Up Nation Is a Neoliberal Hell w/ Nastasia Hadjadji
Feb 8, 2024
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Nastasia Hadjadji, a French journalist, discusses Emmanuel Macron's 'startup nation' policies, the dismantling of France's welfare state, and the consequences of creating national tech champions. Topics include Macron aiding Uber, attracting the crypto industry, police surveillance, erosion of public services, algorithmic surveillance, and precarious labor conditions.
Macron's 'Startup Nation' policy aimed to make France a tech investment destination, but resulted in a neoliberal assault on the public sector and welfare state.
The tension between attracting tech investment and achieving digital sovereignty in France highlights the need to address the dominance of foreign firms and nurture national champions.
Deep dives
French politics and concerns over Macron's tactics
The podcast examines the current state of French politics, highlighting concerns over Macron's strategy to prevent the far right from winning the next presidential election by adopting far-right policies himself.
Emmanuel Macron's 'Startup Nation' policy
The podcast delves into Macron's 2017 policy called the 'Startup Nation', which aimed to make France a destination for tech investment and transform the government to act more like a startup.
Neoliberal assault on the public sector in France
The podcast discusses how Macron's policies led to a neoliberal assault on the public sector and the welfare state. This included budget reductions, privatization, and increased digitalization, resulting in negative impacts on public services and the welfare of regular French citizens.
The tension between attracting tech investment and digital sovereignty
The podcast explores the tension between Macron's efforts to attract tech investment to France and the desire to achieve digital sovereignty. While Macron aims to nurture national champions and increase digital independence, there remains a reliance on big tech companies and a need to address the dominance of foreign firms in the country.
Paris Marx is joined by Nastasia Hadjadji to discuss Emmanuel Macron’s plan to run France like a start-up, how that justified a further dismantling of France's welfare state, and how his desire to create national tech champions is having domestic consequences.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
Paris will be speaking in Auckland on February 18 in an event hosted by Tohatoha.