Cannes, Mbappé, Ruffin: Culture makes its policy – 05/19/26
We sometimes have the impression that the cultural world is disconnected from political and societal issues. The cuts in public budgets (-42% in 2025 tells us Rue89 Strasbourg), the buyouts of publishing houses (Grasset recently) or distributors (UGC) by billionaires with problematic ideologies, that’s a wake-up call! This week, it is in art and sport that we are launching resistance against the RN wave, one year before the Presidential election. And it was time.
The Cannes Film Festival highlights a platform for Zapper Bolloré(1.) Positive signals of resurgence and other, more worrying, signals of reprisals from the far-right sphere. Backlashes that Kylian Mbappé also suffers after his criticism of the RN(2.). Fortunately, Ruffin will save us in comics (or not, see3.) and summer promises to be festive and militant(4.).
On the MOB side, we finished editing the video of our event at Point Ephèmère with alarming findings, civic solutions and exciting people. If you weren’t there, you might like it! We also tried to think of our recommendations in connection with all these reflections. These are :
News of the week
1- Red carpet, blacklist
600 artists signed a platform on May 11 against Bolloré’s influence on French cinema. On the eve of the Cannes Film Festival, it was daring. And it has a little effect on the red carpet says Libération. Applause strikes at the sight of the Canal logo, “Zapper Bolloré” badges.
A mobilization which did not please Canal + which, through Maxime Saada, announced that it no longer wanted to work with the signatories/artists involved. In 2026, criticizing Bolloré is enough to be censored.
For his part, Gilles Lellouche hits the nail on the head when he is asked questions about the rise of the far right, during the promotion of a film about Jean Moulin, that’s scary.
2- Mbappé: captain, my captain
Sport is also not spared from this year which promises to be very political. Especially when we attack the national rally and the rising extreme right in France. Kylian Mbappé pays the price after an interview inVanity Fair.
Like Zidane, he directly criticizes (do you get it?) the far-right party and the danger of its coming to power in 2027. When you come from Bondy, and given the comments of this political party on the suburbs, immigration and the uninhibited racism of their local elected officials, we understand. Red card for the RN who insults the relaying playerl’Humanité. Like the world of cinema, the sporting world is also questioning the impact and relevance of such positions, especially on the eve of the 2026 World Cup. At the same time, the Presidential election is in a year, we are no longer in training there.
3- Ruffin, the comic strip that tries
It is in a comic strip that Ruffin makes his presidential campaign plea. And that doesn’t give a great image: the left-wing networks and parties (especially LFI) have been lashing out for several days over its problematic issues. Example, a black woman distorted by anger in conflict with “unpleasant” police officers is saved from their altercation by a generous and conciliatory Ruffin.
Well, what Ruffin draws for us in Picardie Splendor is above all his strong political line.Mediapart: that of a man of the left who seeks to rake in the RN the “angry not fascists”, by making the discrimination, racism and systemic violence suffered by the dominated. Would it be enough to talk to each other? If only it were true… Ruffin, for his part, risks having difficulty getting things together.
4- Summer festivals: sound and ideas
We continue in music with the cartography ofVert on the busy festivals of the summer. The story of showing that we can campaign with joy and music. Festivals: independent, which raise awareness and even mobilize social and environmental issues and themselves apply ecological sobriety.
72 gems are listed: We recommend, among others, Pete the Monkey (July), the Cabaret vert (end of August) or the fishing walls starting this weekend in Montreuil (93). Special dedication to Convivencia, a traveling festival in Occitanie!
On the MOB side
Institutions, counter-powers, work: how, really, to create democracy? – Round table
For the launch of our paper magazine (limited edition special edition, we’re not getting into the written press yet!), we had a big democratic evening at thePoint Ephémère In Paris on April 7. Exciting proceedings and discussions to the rhythm of our sections.
- The necessary reform of our institutions and the challenges of real political representation with Loïc Blondiaux, Julie Reynard (Fréquence Commune) and Ayodele Ikuesan (Democratizing politics).
- The defense of associative, media and citizen counter-powers with Moyra Oblitas (House of whistleblowers).
- Governance at work, collective interest cooperatives (SCIC) and therefore professional horizontality with Béatrice Delpech (Enercoop / Les Licoornes).
First edition of a meeting that we would like to happen more frequently to, together, think about how to play collectively. We will soon ask you for your opinion on these questions. In the meantime,our article on the evening is here.
Editor’s recommendations
Working-class neighborhoods: hold, fight, transmit (podcast)
LSD signs a new nugget (we’re fans) withthis series in 4 episodes which recounts, in experience and in memory, the incredible proliferation of collective struggles in working-class neighborhoods.
From Roubaix to Marseille, this unfortunately necessary political creativity of the working classes provides clues and confirms what the speakers of our evening said: people get involved, it is the political class that ignores them.
And so as not to miss any of our content, we offer you a newsletter every week, to subscribe:
