Twilight of the Elites: Prosperity, the Periphery, and the Future of France

A passionate account of how the gulf between France’s metropolitan elites and its working classes are tearing the country apart

Christophe Guilluy, a French geographer, makes the case that France has become an “American society”―one that is both increasingly multicultural and increasingly unequal. The divide between the global economy’s winners and losers in today’s France has replaced the old left‑right split, leaving many on “the periphery.”

Key Insights from Guilluy’s Analysis:

• No unified French economy: Those cut off from the country’s new economic citadels suffer disproportionately on both economic and social fronts.
• “Open society” as a smoke screen: Guilluy argues that the idea of an “open society” in France is a facade, concealing the rise of a closed society designed to benefit the upper classes.
• A dangerous stage for ruling classes: Without the stability of a growing economy, the hope for those excluded from growth is extinguished. This, Guilluy warns, undermines the legitimacy of a multicultural nation.

In his analysis, Guilluy paints a compelling picture of the fractures within modern France, highlighting the urgent need to address the widening chasm between its elites and working classes.