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Quand le parisianisme écrase la France
248 pages, Paperback
Published May 14, 2025
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 30, 2025
J'ai vraiment apprécié cette vulgarisation.
Ça m'a permis de me rendre compte de certaines choses dans le fonctionnement du système, de l'histoire et j'en remercie l'auteur.
Il y a un passage spécifique où on parle moins de la France et ses provinces mais de l'Europe en général.
J'ai trouvé ce passage hors sujet mais tout de même plaisant à lire.
Ça m'a permis de me rendre compte de certaines choses dans le fonctionnement du système, de l'histoire et j'en remercie l'auteur.
Il y a un passage spécifique où on parle moins de la France et ses provinces mais de l'Europe en général.
J'ai trouvé ce passage hors sujet mais tout de même plaisant à lire.
July 1, 2025
Francis Brochet’s Quand le parisianisme écrase la France tackles a truth many French people know deep down: Paris holds most of the country’s power: political, economic, and cultural, often at the expense of everyone else. Brochet takes this idea and runs with it, using a journalistic approach to show just how wide the gap has grown between the capital and the rest of France.
The book shows the real effects of this imbalance. Brochet explains how budgets for things like education, culture, and infrastructure are heavily skewed toward Paris. He connects this to the anger in the provinces that boiled over with the gilets jaunes protests, a sign that many people outside Paris feel unheard and left behind.
One thing that stands out, though, is the book’s tone. Some parts feel like they lean toward a more right-wing or conservative view, especially when Brochet talks about how “real” France is in the countryside, and how Parisian elites are out of touch. He never says it outright, but if you read closely, some arguments may seem to echo what conservative politicians have said before. So, it’s worth reading with that in mind and checking the facts for yourself.
Quand le parisianisme écrase la France succeeds as a conversation starter. It arms readers with recent facts, telling vignettes, and a clear map of the Paris–province fault line. Something worth discussing far beyond France’s borders.
For instance, I couldn’t help but think about how this topic connects to other countries. The Philippines, for example, has a similar problem with Manila being the center of almost everything, until a leader from Davao, one of its biggest cities, broke through. Or take Australia, which made a conscious effort to spread power by making Canberra the capital and letting cities like Sydney and Melbourne shine on their own. Brochet sticks to France, though, and doesn’t explore these kinds of comparisons, which feels like a missed chance to broaden the discussion.
If there’s one thing that needs fixing, it’s the printed/paperback book’s format. The footnotes are too long and run right into the main text, sometimes taking up half a page. It makes the book feel messy and harder to follow than it should be. A cleaner layout and tighter editing would help if there’s ever a second edition.
Three stars out of five: worth your time if you’re curious about France’s centralism problem, but approach with a critical eye and hope for a better-edited reissue.
The book shows the real effects of this imbalance. Brochet explains how budgets for things like education, culture, and infrastructure are heavily skewed toward Paris. He connects this to the anger in the provinces that boiled over with the gilets jaunes protests, a sign that many people outside Paris feel unheard and left behind.
One thing that stands out, though, is the book’s tone. Some parts feel like they lean toward a more right-wing or conservative view, especially when Brochet talks about how “real” France is in the countryside, and how Parisian elites are out of touch. He never says it outright, but if you read closely, some arguments may seem to echo what conservative politicians have said before. So, it’s worth reading with that in mind and checking the facts for yourself.
Quand le parisianisme écrase la France succeeds as a conversation starter. It arms readers with recent facts, telling vignettes, and a clear map of the Paris–province fault line. Something worth discussing far beyond France’s borders.
For instance, I couldn’t help but think about how this topic connects to other countries. The Philippines, for example, has a similar problem with Manila being the center of almost everything, until a leader from Davao, one of its biggest cities, broke through. Or take Australia, which made a conscious effort to spread power by making Canberra the capital and letting cities like Sydney and Melbourne shine on their own. Brochet sticks to France, though, and doesn’t explore these kinds of comparisons, which feels like a missed chance to broaden the discussion.
If there’s one thing that needs fixing, it’s the printed/paperback book’s format. The footnotes are too long and run right into the main text, sometimes taking up half a page. It makes the book feel messy and harder to follow than it should be. A cleaner layout and tighter editing would help if there’s ever a second edition.
Three stars out of five: worth your time if you’re curious about France’s centralism problem, but approach with a critical eye and hope for a better-edited reissue.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews