Those Who Remain

A vivid portrait of rural and working-class life that links the dynamics of social ties to far-right political alignments

Rural and working-class voters in France have increasingly supported the politics—and the worldview—of the country’s far right. What accounts for this realignment? In Those Who Remain, sociologist Benoît Coquard immerses himself in working class life in the rural and industrialized northeast areas of France, exploring the political allegiances of those left behind after the rural exodus of the last century. Coquard—himself a native of this social milieu—documents the intense friendships and family ties that cement social bonds. He shows how competition for employment, gender discrimination, and the relationships between whites and descendants of immigrants shape new forms of collective consciousness that have found expression in right-wing ideologies.

Coquard moves beyond conventional explanations for the rise of the far right, describing working-class cultural models that run counter to the values of schooling, formal credentials, and idealized visions of social harmony. In this society, reputation is paramount; you may compete with your peers, but you must also help those you think of as your real friends. Central to this world is not “we, the workers” or “we, the locals” but “us first,” a claim of precedence over others that echoes the far right’s historic slogan “the French first.”

Coquard’s analysis sheds light on the perennial dilemma—not limited to French politics—of whether it is possible for the left to win back the rural working classes. His account suggests that the problem goes deeper than policy positions and party platforms.