Noch ist Frankreich nicht verloren

In this rejoinder to K Lindners article in Prokla 148 on the 2005 riots in France, R. Feld pleads for more of a critical distance in relation to the (majority of the) rioters, pointing e.g. to the question of sexism. He argues, however, that concepts such as 'Lumpenproletariat' are not appropriate either, and that a more dynamic approach is needed. When it comes to the question of 'Sarkozysm', he rejects the assumption that an authoritarian populism has come abont and already achieved outright hegemony. Rather, the opposition is down but not out, and the question of purchasing power may soon provide it with some opportunities to make its voice heard again.