Bruce Springsteen in Le Monde: From disillusioned singer to anti-Trump activist
There is the singer who, for five decades, has taken his audience on a journey − from feverish rock anthems to harmonica ballads − "on the streets of a runaway American dream." And there is the president who, through decrees and diatribes, has promised his voters to "make America great again." Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump, at 75 and 78 years old respectively, represent two contrasting visions of America that are now clashing – fiercely.
During a European tour that brought him to France from May 24 to 31, the Born in the USA singer took aim at Trump, accusing him, as he said on May 24 in Lille, of being "corrupt and incompetent." In response, the Mar-a-Lago resident lashed back, calling him a "jerk" and a "dried out prune." Springsteen, who grew up in a working-class New Jersey family, seems to particularly irk the current president and New York-born "son of," likely because the singer conveys the pain and nostalgia that Trump exploits so relentlessly: one of small towns living in the shadow of declining factories.
Searching through Le Monde 's archives is like traveling upriver. Springsteen's role as a disillusioned voice of America emerged as early as this newspaper's first article on the singer − published on November 22, 1975 − on the occasion of the release of his third album, Born to Run, which brought him worldwide fame. Claude Fléouter was captivated by the artist – "Bruce Springsteen seems to have come straight from [Times Square]" – and even more by his music, which he described as being "Thrown, shouted and howled out with fury and sensuality, [with poetic rush]," and as full of "passions and fantasies." To Fléouter, the album captured "the atmosphere of a New York street."
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France 24
22 minutes ago
- France 24
French justice minister considers harsher sentences after violence mars PSG celebrations
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin on Tuesday said he wanted tougher punishments for anyone convicted of violence against police, after clashes and car-torching this weekend marred celebrations of Paris Saint-Germain 's Champions League triumph. Police detained hundreds of people during festivities following PSG's victory in the European football showcase in Germany on Saturday and their triumphant return home the following day. PSG thrashed Inter Milan by a record 5-0 in the final to win the biggest prize in European club football for the first time. The victory sparked delirious celebrations in France that were marred by some violence. Police arrested 563 people on Saturday night, the interior ministry said, after more than 200 cars were torched and police clashed with youths. In the southwest town of Dax, a 17-year-old boy died after being stabbed in the chest. A 23-year-old man riding a scooter in central Paris also died after a vehicle hit him. Authorities detained 79 others on Sunday night, including for allegedly firing fireworks at security forces, trying to vandalise shops and blocking traffic. Some of these appeared in court on Monday, with three men in their early twenties receiving suspended sentences of two to eight months, along with a €500 ($570) fine, the Paris prosecutor's office said. Others were set to appear before a magistrate on Tuesday. Darmanin, who has expressed interest in standing in the 2027 presidential election, argued the first court sentences were not tough enough. "Some of the sentences for violence – including against law enforcement officers and for destruction of property – are not proportional to the level of violence our country is experiencing," the former interior minister said on X. "The law needs to radically change," he added. Physically not possible Darmanin called for an end to obligatory adjustments for jail terms of fewer than six months, which for example allow detainees to serve time at home with an electronic bracelet. He called for an end to suspended sentences in such cases and a law to set up a "systematic minimum sentence" for those found guilty. He suggested "a minimum of three months in jail for any assault against a representative of the state or a very steep fine for any destruction". Aurelien Martini, deputy secretary-general of the magistrates union, responded that minimum sentences – previously tried from 2007 to 2014 – did not work. If the goal is "to put more people in prison, it's physically not possible", he said, alluding to overcrowding. France's prison population hit a record high on May 1, with more than 83,600 inmates held in facilities that have a capacity of around 62,500, justice ministry data has shown. Socialist leader Olivier Faure added that the judiciary should first and foremost be "fair" and examine each individual case, not respond "to collective emotion". The right-wing head of the Paris region Valerie Pecresse supported Darmanin's idea, saying it was the "only hope for this violence, this ransacking to never happen again". Receiving the triumphant team at the Elysee palace on Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron condemned what he called "unacceptable" violence during the festivities. Many of the stars of PSG, one of the youngest in the competition, are drawn from the huge football talent pool in the Paris suburbs. A total of 11.5 million people tuned in across France to watch the match.
France 24
23 minutes ago
- France 24
France eyes tougher sentences after violence mars PSG celebrations
Police detained hundreds of people during festivities following PSG's victory in the European football showcase in Germany on Saturday and their triumphant return home the following day. PSG thrashed Inter Milan by a record 5-0 in the final to win the biggest prize in European club football for the first time. The victory sparked delirious celebrations in France, which were marred by some violence. Police arrested 563 people on Saturday night, the interior ministry said, after more than 200 cars were torched and police clashed with youths. In the southwestern town of Dax, a 17-year-old boy died after being stabbed in the chest, and a 23-year-old man riding a scooter in central Paris died after a vehicle hit him. Authorities detained 79 others on Sunday night, including for allegedly firing fireworks at security forces, trying to vandalise shops and blocking traffic. Some of these appeared in court on Monday, with three men in their early twenties receiving suspended sentences of two to eight months, along with a 500-euro ($570) fine, the Paris prosecutor's office said. Others were set to appear before a magistrate on Tuesday. 'Minimum' sentence Darmanin, who has expressed interest in standing in the 2027 presidential election, argued that the first court sentences were not tough enough. "Some of the sentences for violence -- including against law enforcement officers and for destruction of property -- are not proportional to the level of violence our country is experiencing," the former interior minister said on X. "The law needs to radically change," he added. Darmanin called for an end to obligatory adjustments for jail terms of fewer than six months, which for example allow detainees to serve time at home with an electronic bracelet. He called for an end to suspended sentences in such cases and a law to set up a "systematic minimum sentence" for those found guilty. He suggested "a minimum of three months in jail for any assault against a representative of the state or a very steep fine for any destruction". Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said the weekend's scenes of unrest had been "premeditated" and had "exasperated millions of French people", and agreed that "minimum sentences" were a good idea. "The hardening of sentences linked to group and premeditated violence... needs to be starker," he told parliament. 'Physically not possible' But Aurelien Martini, deputy secretary-general of the magistrates union, responded that minimum sentences -- previously tried from 2007 to 2014 -- did not work. If the goal is "to put more people in prison, it's physically not possible", he said, alluding to overcrowding. France's prison population hit a record high on May 1, with more than 83,600 inmates held in facilities that have a capacity of around 62,500, justice ministry data has shown. Socialist leader Olivier Faure added that the judiciary should first and foremost be "fair" and examine each individual case, not respond "to collective emotion". The right-wing head of the Paris region Valerie Pecresse supported Darmanin's idea, saying it was the "only hope for this violence, this ransacking to never happen again". Receiving the triumphant team at the Elysee Palace on Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron condemned what he called "unacceptable" violence during the festivities. Many of the stars of PSG, one of the youngest in the competition, are drawn from the huge football talent pool in the Paris suburbs. A total of 11.5 million people tuned in across France to watch the match.
Euronews
26 minutes ago
- Euronews
SXSW London accused of ‘artwashing' for hosting panel with Tony Blair
Famed as the world's leading festival of creativity, SXSW has made its European debut this month with an edition landing in London for the first time. However, controversy quickly reared its head... Former UK prime ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron were among the unannounced speakers at the inaugural edition of SXSW London, which runs until 7 June and spans film, gaming, panel discussion and music – including musical acts Erykah Badu, Nile Rodgers and Idris Elba. Screenshots were leaked of the un-shared programme that included Cameron talking on a panel called Healthcare Revolution, and Blair on one called Government and AI, which also featured Technology Secretary and Labour Friends of Israel member Peter Kyle. Tony Blair spoke at the conference's opening day, saying that Britain needs to fully embrace artificial intelligence in public services and that we 'could have AI tutors' along with 'AI nurses, AI doctors'. Despite lingering concerns over data privacy and job displacement, Blair stated that the UK risks being left behind in what he described as the greatest transformation since the 19th-century Industrial Revolution. His comments were echoed by Peter Kyle, who argued that the UK risked becoming 'obsolete' if it failed to act boldly. Blair did stress that AI was neither inherently good or bad, but a powerful tool requiring responsible use. Both Blair and Kyle spoke after a UK government trial found that generative AI could save civil servants an average of 26 minutes a day. The panel appearance, which was not announced to the public or artists, prompted many artists to cancel their planned performances at the festival. Sam Akpro, Rat Party, Saliah and LVRA were amongst the artists who pulled out, with the latter accusing the festival of 'artwashing', saying that 'whilst the music team were pulling together a diverse, 'cool' lineup, the conference team were booking speakers from multiple organisations deeply complicit in the current genocide of Palestinian people.' 'I implore artists to engage, rather than ignore, those things that affect us and strive to protect the most marginalised voices in the world,' LVRA added. 'I urge us as a community to think bigger, and better, than the scraps offered to us today.' Scottish artist Magnus Westwell said they're also joining the boycott "due to the corporation's unethical, misleading and secretive conference programming of war criminals, art-washing and practices that exploit marginalised artists." See some of the other reactions below. Une publication partagée par LVRA // loo-rah (@itslooroll) Une publication partagée par Sam Akpro (@ Une publication partagée par Saliah (SAAL-YA) ساليا (@saliahgram) To address the criticisms, a spokesperson for SXSW London sent the following: "As one of the world's largest festivals across tech, music and the creative industries, SXSW London respects everyone's views and positions and aims to create an open, diverse space for debate and discussion.' The statement continued: 'Across the breadth of the festival, with over 800 speakers, we have a broad range of global leaders spanning the technology and cultural industries, their inclusion doesn't represent an endorsement of any particular position or viewpoint." This is not the first time that artists have boycotted SXSW. More than 100 artists and speakers pulled out of last year's edition of the brand's flagship Austin event in Texas after it partnered with the US Army and defense contractor RTX Corporation. The huge wave of 2024 SXSW boycotts due to the festival's ties to defense groups that supply Israeli weapons in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war included artists like Kneecap, Rachel Chinouriri, Lambrini Girls and Scowl. Following the backlash, both partnerships were discontinued for 2025 - proving artist Saliah right: boycotts work.
