French Word of the Day: Démago
Why do I need to know
démago?
Because
this word has become more common in political discourse in recent years.
What does it mean?
Démago
- roughly pronounced day-mah-go - is the shortened version of the word
démagogue
, though it might also be the shortened version of
démagogie
(demagogy) or
démagogique
(demagogic) depending on the context.
As you might've guessed, the word
démagogue
translates as demagogue in English, and it refers to a person who appeals to the desires and prejudices of the masses to attain political power and popularity.
Advertisement
The 'o' ending is a fairly common one in French for a shortened, more casual version of a word eg
restaurant = resto
,
exposition = expo
(exhibition, usually of art but can also refer to a display, for example
le modèle expo
would be the display model of an item in a shop).
These are casual so more common in spoken than written French, but they're not regarded as rude.
Within the world of politics,
d
émago
is somewhat similar to the way that French people shorten the word
fasciste
to become
facho
.
The shortened version of
démago
carries the same meaning, but it is a bit lighter and more colloquial than the full term. For example, the left-wing publication Libération recently ran the headline
Edouard Philippe, enfin une droite pas démago
(Edouard Philippe, finally a right-wing that isn't demagogic).
Use it like this
J'ai suggéré que nous augmentions la responsabilité des dépenses et ils m'ont qualifié de démago. -
I suggested we increase spending responsibility and they called me a demagogue.
Certains pensent que le candidat est anti-libéral et démago, mais nous verrons ce que les électeurs en penseront dans une semaine.
- Some think the candidate is illiberal and demagogic, but we'll see what voters think in a week.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
an hour ago
- LeMonde
Philip Gordon, former Kamala Harris adviser: 'Netanyahu called Trump's bluff' by striking Iran
Philip Gordon, former national security adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, is a committed Europhile and fluent French speaker who was considered for a key position in her future administration, had the Democrats won. In April, Gordon joined the Brookings Institution think tank. He spoke with Le Monde about the early months of Donald Trump's second term. The Trump administration seemed to be pursuing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, but then Trump expressed support for Israeli military strikes. Did he just run out of patience with Iran? I am skeptical of the notion that Trump masterfully lulled Iran into complacency with diplomacy and then decided to enforce his "redline" with military force. Trump desperately wanted a nuclear deal with Iran and publicly and privately told Israel not to strike. But a confident Netanyahu called Trump's bluff, told him Israel needed to act, and Trump felt no choice but to go along. He now has to act as if this was his call, but in so doing finds himself having to defend Israel in a war he did not want but could not prevent.
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
What's at stake for Europe if Strait of Hormuz is blocked?
Revolutionary Guard commander Sardar Esmail Kowsari told local media in an interview closing the Strait of Hormuz "is under consideration, and Iran will make the best decision with determination." "Our hands are wide open when it comes to punishing the enemy, and the military response was only part of our overall response," added Kowsari, who is a member of parliament in addition to his military position. Iran's short- and medium-range missiles would be capable of targeting oil infrastructure platforms, pipelines in the Strait, or even attacking commercial vessels, and surface-to-surface missiles could target tankers or ports along the Gulf. Airstrikes using aircraft and drones could disable navigation or radar equipment at major shipping ports in the region. Unmanned drones like Iran's Shahed models could potentially be used to attack specific shipping lanes or infrastructure in the Strait. Iran could attempt to deploy warships to physically block access to the Strait. In 2012, Iran launched a cyberattack on Saudi Arabia's oil industry, showing its growing capability in this domain. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically vital chokepoints in the world, and any blockade by Iran would pose serious risks for Europe. Blocking the Strait was one of four Iranian responses to the conflict including terrorist acts on mainland Europe which security expert Claude Moniquet cited in an interview with Euronews. It would be 'a disaster for Europe', the former French intelligence office said. Here are some of the reasons why. Roughly 20% of global oil and a significant portion of natural gas pass through the Strait. Europe imports oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Gulf states Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE much of which travels through the Strait. If Iran blocks it, global oil prices would spike, and Europe could face energy shortages, especially in countries dependent on Middle Eastern fuel. A sudden oil price surge would increase inflation, energy costs, and disrupt industries across Europe. Manufacturing, transport, and agriculture sectors would be especially vulnerable. Market reactions and volatility in European stock exchanges could be a knock-on effect. A blockade could trigger military confrontations involving the US, EU navies, and Gulf states, risking a broader regional war. Europe might be drawn into the conflict through NATO obligations or alliances, especially with countries like France or the UK maintaining naval presence in the region. Beyond oil, the Strait is a key route for global shipping. Disruption could delay European imports of raw materials, electronics, and consumer goods, affecting supply chains. Insurance premiums for shipping could spike, raising costs for European businesses and consumers. At least three people have been injured and 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid were destroyed after a Russian drone strike on a warehouse in Ukraine's southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia in the early hours of Saturday. The injured were two police officers and a civilian, according to local officials. The damage from the strike is estimated at around $3 million. The aid was set to be provided to people who were internally displaced, as well as to residents in frontline areas of the war. Shops, a multi-storey building and a public transport stop were also reportedly damaged in the attack. Oleksandr Beluga, founder of the NGO Beluga UA, told local media ""Now everything has been destroyed, two days ago we received help from 5 trucks. There is approximately $3 million worth of damage here." Aside from Zaporizhzhia, the regions of Kharkiv, Donetsk and Dnipro were also targeted in an attack which consisted of a total of 58 Shahedattack UAVs, as well as various types of imitation drones, reported the Ukrainian air force. 43 were neutralised, they said, with 23 being shot down and 20 having their signals jammed. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military also reported that it had carried out overnight drone strikes targeting two Russian chemical plants that were tied to the production of explosives. "As part of efforts to reduce (Russia's) ability to produce explosives and ammunition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' drone systems, in coordination with other Defense Forces units, struck critical facilities of Russia's military-industrial complex overnight," said Ukraine's General Staff. The chemical plants were reportedly located in Stavropol Krai and Samara Oblast. Both were identified as major suppliers of raw materials and components for the production of Russia's weapons and fuel. The Stavropol governor confirmed the strike, saying that drone debris had landed in the city's industrial zone. On Friday, the bodies of 1,200 soldiers were returned to Ukraine as part of an agreement reached between Russia and Ukraine during their 2 June peace talks in Istanbul. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War released a statement saying that Russia returned 1,200 bodies, and 'according to the Russian side, the bodies belong to Ukrainian citizens, in particular military personnel.' It was the only tangible achievement of the Istanbul talks, with 1,212 bodies also being returned by Russia earlier this week, with 27 dead soldiers going the other way. The two sides conducted a prisoners of war swap on Thursday, which included badly wounded and gravely ill captives. Their numbers were not disclosed, however.
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
Europe's paradoxical support for Israel's attack against Iran
Calling for restraint and diplomacy, without condemning Israel or disavowing its strikes: France, the United Kingdom and Germany reacted on Friday, June 13, in a somewhat unexpected, even acrobatic manner, to the vast offensive launched by Israel against Iran. One after another, the three European states – which, in 2015, were signatories with Iran, the European Union, the United States, Russia and China, of the agreement intended to limit the expansion of Iran's nuclear program, buried by Donald Trump three years later – supported Israel's "right to defend itself" in the face of what they see as an existential threat: The prospect of the Teheran regime possessing nuclear weapons. Until now, Paris, London and Berlin had tried, unsuccessfully, to talk Benjamin Netanyahu out of carrying out his threats in order to favor the diplomatic option. No hard feelings. On Friday, the French, British and German leaders each called the Israeli prime minister to express their solidarity, despite the clear deterioration, at least for the first two, of their relations with Netanyahu because of the war in Gaza. "Israel has the right to defend its existence and the safety and security of its citizens. The aim must be to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking promptly. The British leader Keir Starmer emphasized in the afternoon Israel's "right to self-defense" and the "UK's grave concerns" regarding Iran's nuclear program.
