French cinema is spooked by the far right

Summary

Brussels Playbook Podcast

Episode Title: French cinema is spooked by the far right
Date: May 11, 2026
Host: Zoya Sheftalovich
Guest: Nick Finnicker (Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, POLITICO)

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Episode Overview

This packed Monday episode dives into a tense day in Brussels, where EU foreign ministers are set to debate critical sanctions against violent West Bank settlers and the development of a new sanctions package against Russia. The show also features a timely interview with Spain’s Foreign Minister, calling for the EU to get serious about its own defense capabilities. The episode closes with an exploration of French filmmakers’ growing anxieties that a far-right win in the next French presidential election could gut their industry. Throughout, the hosts sprinkle in personal banter, audience interaction, and sharp reporting from the heart of the EU.

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Key Discussion Points

1. The EU’s Foreign Affairs Council: Sanctions on West Bank Settlers

[01:34–04:38]

• EU Foreign Ministers are convening in Brussels with one of the hottest topics being whether to move forward with sanctions on violent West Bank settlers.

  • France and Sweden pushing for action.
  • The proposal stalled previously due to Hungary’s opposition under Viktor Orban.

• Hungary’s Power Shift:

  • With Peter Magyar newly sworn in as Prime Minister, support may shift.
  • Quote:
    “The big question mark here is whether the new government has issued instructions to back this thing.”
    —Nick Finnicker [03:00]
  • Hungary will be represented by an ambassador still serving from the Orban era, with diplomats unsure if new instructions have arrived.

• Sanctions Details:

  • Sanctions likely to include travel bans (“not allowed to travel into the EU, various restrictions related to kind of entering, visa ban” —Nick Finnicker [03:38]).
  • Proposed tariffs on settlement goods (Franco-Swedish proposal) are still in the early stages; swift movement is not expected.

2. Russia Sanctions—Package 21 in the Works

[04:38–07:27]

• EU considering a 21st sanctions package against Russia over Ukraine war.

  • Narrative among diplomats: Russia is increasingly weakened, both militarily and economically.
  • Quote:
    “We even saw Vladimir Putin say over the weekend he thinks the war is approaching its end.”
    —Zoya Sheftalovich [05:05]

• Key measures under discussion:

  • Targeting the Russian shadow fleet:
    —“These tankers that sail around the world under various flags...essentially fueling the war effort by selling various, you know, Russian oil, etc.” —Zoya Sheftalovich [05:32] —Potential bans on maritime servicing and refueling for shadow fleet vessels, a measure previously blocked by Greece and Malta but possibly gaining momentum.

  • Crackdown on financial networks:
    —Further restrictions on Russian banks and companies assisting in stolen grain shipments from Ukraine. —Notable diplomatic incident: Israel rejecting a shipment of “stolen grain.”

  • Individual sanctions:
    —Actions against people involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children, set to be announced in conjunction with Canadian and EU leaders.

3. Interview: Spain’s Foreign Minister calls for an EU Army

[07:27–10:36]

• Jose Manuel Alvarez (Spanish FM) speaks out:

  • States it is “time for the EU to get its act together” and seriously consider establishing an EU army.
  • Context:
    Concerns about a less reliable U.S. ally under the new Trump administration; the major threat posed by Russia.
  • Quote:
    “We actually cannot continue waking up every morning wondering what the US is going to do next. It's time for the EU to grow up.”
    —Jose Manuel Alvarez, via Zoya Sheftalovich [08:46]

• Historical background:

  • The EU army concept dates back to 1951, but has never gained traction.

• NATO overlap concerns:

  • Alvarez’s position: an EU army would complement, not replace NATO or member state armies.
  • Quote:
    “If NATO is not providing any more security that was given before, then we have to do more as Europeans.”
    —Zoya Sheftalovich (paraphrasing Alvarez) [09:14]

• Article 42.7:

  • Growing discussions about invoking the EU’s mutual assistance clause, though controversial among pro-NATO states.

4. French Cinema’s Far-Right Fears

[10:36–14:06]

• Cannes Film Festival week sets the scene:

  • Discussion around a POLITICO story by Giorgio Leali about the risks posed to the French film industry by a potential far-right (National Rally) victory in 2027.

• Why is French cinema at risk?

  • French film is heavily subsidized by the state through the CNC, funded by taxes on theater tickets (especially for foreign films) and streaming platforms.
  • Quote:
    “Of the 84 films that were submitted to the Oscars for best international film this year, 20 of them were supported by the CNC.”
    —Zoya Sheftalovich [12:26]

• National Rally’s Stance:

  • MP Philippe Ball argues that industry insiders are out of touch, and suggests cuts, or even scrapping, of public funding.
  • Quote:
    “People from the cinema world live in another reality... They are not aware of the financial problems of the French. So they're basically saying these people are in la la land. We're not going to give them any more money.”
    —Zoya Sheftalovich [13:02]
  • The possibility of “scrapping the CNC altogether” would be “a bombshell change in France.” —Nick Finnicker [13:13]

• Sector’s Economic Impact:

  • Stats: €12.6 billion value added to the French economy (2022); employs over 260,000 people.

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Memorable Moments and Quotes

• On changing EU dynamics:

  • “Peter Magyar's government was sworn in this past weekend. So of course that has changed.” —Nick Finnicker [02:39]

• On the ‘shadow fleet’ ban:

  • “If you've got a ship that's on the shadow fleet, then you cannot refuel it, you cannot provide sort of assistance to it...can't fix it, that sort of thing.” —Zoya Sheftalovich [05:57]

• French Films Flashback:

  • Hosts share childhood French film favorites: “La Haine” (Nick), “Fantômas” (Zoya, dubbed in Russian). [10:45–11:06]

• Public contributions—European identity:

  • Listener Jonathan: “French name, UK passport, Italian mother. Being European gave me an identity until it was robbed from me 10 years ago. Solution: did my own Brexit and became Swiss.” [14:39]
  • Martin from the Netherlands: “For progressives, being European is linked to values like human rights and freedom of speech. For centrists, it's practical...For conservatives, it's about shared history and culture.” [15:25]

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Listener Engagement & Closing

• Hosts encourage listeners to share their favorite (French or otherwise) films for Zoya’s summer binge-watch.
• Discussion of letters vs. WhatsApp messages as modern feedback, with a tongue-in-cheek offer: “I will get merch for whoever sends me a physical letter.” —Zoya Sheftalovich [15:52]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:27–01:34: Show intro, hosts' banter
• 01:34–04:38: EU Foreign Affairs Council; West Bank settlers sanctions debate
• 04:38–07:27: Russia—21st sanctions package plans
• 07:27–10:36: Interview with Spanish Foreign Minister (EU army)
• 10:36–14:06: French film industry and the far-right threat
• 14:06–16:01: Audience feedback on European identity; show wrap-up

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Tone:

Conversational, incisive, slightly playful but driven by solid reporting and sharp explanations—true to POLITICO's listener-focused, context-rich style.

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An episode rich with breaking Brussels debates, EU power dynamics, and a window into the cultural battlegrounds emerging for 2027—essential listening for anyone tracking Europe’s political and cultural cross-currents.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Good morning. It's Monday, May 11, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast. The vibe in Brussels today is fraught as the EU's foreign ministers consider whether to move forward with sanctions on several west bank settlers. Also on the pod, I talked to the Spanish foreign minister about the need for an EU army. And French filmmakers are nervous that a far right win in next year's French presidential election could kill the their industry. I'm Zoya Shevtolovich and with me today is our chief foreign affairs correspondent, Nick Finnicker. Hey, Nick.

[C]

Hey, Zoya.

[B]

What'd you get up to this weekend?

[C]

Some. We call them Interior Olympics. We set up little circuits, have the kids run through them, get to tucker the little ones out.

[B]

Ooh, that sounds very good. That sounds like what I sometimes have to do when I'm recording the podcast from a hotel room where I have to build a fortnick. I literally have to build a fort so that the echo from the hotel room is air conditioning doesn't come into this recording.

[C]

Well, they'd love to help you with that because they'd love to destroy the living room at any occasion.

[B]

Perfect. It's a date. Nick, the EU's foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels today and you're reporting on exactly what it is they're going to be talking about. And one of the main priorities is this big issue on whether EU countries should make an agreement on sanctions against so called violent West bank south settlers.

[C]

Exactly. So this is an issue that's been boiling for months. The violence in the west bank territories has been rising. There's been criticism from even people like German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz. But the sanctions proposal has been on the table for months. And what we're hearing from diplomats is that it could move ahead today at the Foreign Affairs Council.

[B]

And the thing that we're seeing is once again this dividend from the Hungarian election. And one of the key reasons why those sanctions weren't moving is because Hungary was chiefly acting as a blocker. Hungary was probably one of Israel's strongest supporters in the eu. And under the Victor Orban government, they were not allowing this sanctions package to move forward. But now that Peter Magyar is ensconced in the prime ministership, it looks like that may change.

[C]

Yeah, exactly. So on this one, you know, we understood that there were 26 out of 27 countries in favor. You need unanimous support to pass the sanctions. Peter Magyar's government was sworn in this past weekend. So of course that has changed. And now the new government is issuing instructions. The big question mark here is whether the new government has issued instructions to back this thing. So Hungary is going to be represented by its ambassador, who's still from Viktor Orban's time in power. So we don't know if he's received updated instructions on the sanctions proposal.

[B]

But what you're reporting in today's playbook is that we are expecting a political agreement today, should all things line up.

[C]

Yep. Spoken to several diplomats, four diplomats, one of them said, I would be really surprised if this did not come to pass today. So that's a pretty good indication indicator.

[B]

And in terms of what these sanctions would actually look like, do you know what they're going to target if they do indeed decide to target these west bank settlers?

[C]

So individual sanctions usually mean not allowed to travel into the eu, various restrictions related to kind of entering, visa ban, essentially for these people who would be designated as being behind the violence we've seen in the west bank territories.

[B]

And the other thing that we've been hearing about is another proposal which the French and the Swedes have been pushing, which is about imposing tariffs virus on goods that come from Israeli west bank settlements as well. But what's kind of the status on that one? That's not quite ready yet, as I understand it.

[C]

Yeah. So there is a push to go much further than these west bank sanctions. There's also been on the EU Israel association agreement, a proposal to suspend that. That's not going to move forward. But we do see some interest in this Franco Swedish proposal to go after the exports. And that would be a different track because tariffs is essentially decided by the European Commission with a qualified majority of countries needed to support it. It's a lower threshold and we're seeing some interest in that building, but unclear if there's going to be any news on that today.

[B]

Yeah, that's not the only thing up for discussion today at this Foreign Affairs Council. There's also going to be talk about the 21st package of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine.

[C]

Yep. So exploratory talks, early stages, but we're already hearing some really interesting lines from diplomats about what could be in this 21st sanctions package. And more interesting is the narrative and the fram saying, you know, Russia's looking weaker overall. We've seen battlefield setbacks, we've seen the economy in dire straits. We even saw Vladimir Putin say over the weekend he thinks the war is approaching its end. So the idea here is for the EU to make a big push in time for the summer, late June, early July, with a 21st package that would really kind of seal the deal in a way encourage Putin to really come to the table and engage seriously with the peace proposal.

[B]

Yeah. And in terms of what's in this package that hasn't been there before, we're looking at primarily targeting that Russian shadow fleet. As I understand it, that's going to be the big push. It's these tankers that sail around the world under various flags, mysterious flags, but they're actually, well, essentially fueling the war effort by selling various, you know, Russian oil, etc. Etc. And essentially the EU really wants to crack down on that shadow fleet. And one of the things that they're looking at is even potentially stopping companies from being able to service that shadow fleet. So if you've got a ship that's on the shadow fleet, then you cannot refuel it, you cannot provide sort of assistance to it. You know, if something breaks down, you can't fix it, that sort of thing. So I think that's a key measure, right?

[C]

Yep. So that's been in there. And that maritime services ban you were referring to was blocked previously by some of the more seafaring nations, Greece, Malta. But that could come back on the table. That's what we're hearing. We're also hearing about a big push against Russia's financial system. The banks, the financial institutions. We're looking at companies that support so called stolen grain shipments. So taking grain from Ukrainian ports and bringing it to clients around the world. We saw this was the subject of a big spat between Ukraine and Israel. Israel ultimately rejected this shipment of stolen grain, but other countries are receiving it. Talking about putting that in the next 21st sanctions package.

[B]

Yes, I think that's going to be a big one as well, because that all hits Putin's ability to fund that war effort, particularly if he's not able to sell that grain. And that grain is being stolen from parts of Ukraine that have been occupied by Russia and is now being tilled and so forth and sold on the market. So that's the plan.

[C]

Yeah. And one more thing is we will see sanctions against individuals involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children. And that will be announced after the Foreign Affairs Council with the Canadian Foreign minister, President and the EU chief diplomat, Kayakalas.

[B]

Nick. That leads us very nicely onto our second story of the day, which is a conversation that I had with the Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Alvarez, when I was in Madrid last week.

[C]

Very interesting, very much in the news.

[B]

Yeah. And he's actually in town today for this Foreign Affairs Council, so it's quite timely. And what he told me when I was chatting with him is that it is really time for the EU to get its act together and to be able to defend itself with an EU army. Because he was saying that under this new Trump administration, it's pretty clear that the US is cutting the EU loose and so the EU needs to do something about that.

[C]

Yeah. And the EU army is an interesting one. Right. It kind of comes up. It's like a sea monster that surfaces every few years. People disparage it, laugh at it. But the fact that you had someone so senior as the Spanish Foreign Minister saying this on record is really quite significant.

[B]

Yeah. And something that Alvarez actually told me is that this idea is not a new one. It's actually been kicking around since, I think he said 1951. At the very outset, outset of this EU integration program, there was this idea of like, maybe we need an EU army. And in the end, it just has never had the support to get up again. His argument is, firstly, we obviously have this very aggressive Russia on the EU's borders, but secondly, the US is making it very clear that its nuclear umbrella is maybe kind of optional. He was saying, look, we actually cannot continue waking up every morning wondering what the US is going to do next. It's time for the EU to grow up.

[C]

And one of the big arguments against the EU army is that it sort of overlaps with NATO. So he addressed that. He argued that an EU army wouldn't undermine, could be complementary to NATO. And he says that, you know, the United States have been making their army stronger and stronger, and no one thinks that weakens NATO. If NATO is not providing any more security that was given before, then we have to do more as Europeans.

[B]

And it's kind of interesting, Nick, because this is a socialist politician. It's not the kind of thing you hear all that often from that side of the political spectrum. But he was very, very strong in his comments.

[C]

Absolutely. And some of the big pushes toward EU integration have been led by center left politicians, so perhaps it's not too surprising.

[B]

Yeah. So he's putting this on the agenda he says that it's time to actually do something more cohesive as Europe. And what he told me was that this EU army, it shouldn't replace the 27 EU armies, it should actually complement them, an extra level of protection. Because at the moment, the magic of being a member of NATO is that no one tries, tries to test NATO because everyone thinks the US is going to come and rescue the eu. But if you don't have that kind of security blanket, then you need something else on top of that to ensure that you don't have Russia testing the borders.

[C]

Yeah, and that's hence a lot of the discussion we've had lately about Article 42.7, the mutual assistance clause in EU treaties, which has always been there as kind of dormant paragraph in the treaties, but now is being discussed, even tested at a tabletop exercise recently. But that's also controversial. Some of the more pro NATO countries pushing back on that and saying, we don't need this.

[B]

Yeah, Nick, it's the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday. Do you have a favorite French film

[C]

in all of history? Sure. I have fond memories of seeing La N as a very startled, like 11 year old in the, in the movies.

[B]

Oh, what was it about?

[C]

It's about the suburbs, the hardscrabble suburbs. Just the daily life of a couple kids kind of, you know, eking out in existence there. It's a great movie.

[B]

I watched Fantmas dubbed into Russian when I was a kid and made a big impression on me. It was a fun action adventure. Well, we've got a story out today by our colleague Giorgio Liali. He's looking at one potential impact of the far right national rally potentially winning the next French presidential election. He reckons that's going to have a devastating impact on the French film industry.

[C]

Yeah, it's a really fascinating story. You know, France subsidizes a lot of its film industry. So the idea is if you have a change in power, someone like Marine Le Pen or Jordan Bardella coming to power in 2027, they could bring seismic changes. They could start to fund movies and series that promote a different narrative that we've become used to and kind of take over the reins of the cnc, the Central Nationale du Cinema, which is really the sort of financial heart of the French audiovisual industry.

[B]

Yeah, and that's basically that cnc, the way that it funds movies, French movies, is by imposing taxes on movie theater tickets and the sale of DVDs and Blu Rays. They also tax movie and TV streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix. And it's hugely important because it subsidizes hundreds of films, this program. It's so important, Nick, that our producer saga has dug up some stats and she found that of the 84 films that were submitted to the Oscars for best international film this year, 20 of them were supported by the CNC. So it's a big, big player in that industry.

[C]

And we should specify that the taxes are taken on foreign films. So mostly American films, big blockbusters. Those revenues help to fund French cinema and the so called cultural exception that France claims for itself.

[B]

Yeah, but National Rally says basically, well, firstly, we may start funding different films because they've criticized the sorts of films that get made, saying that they've got a left wing agenda. But also the French National Rally MP Philippe Ball, he said that people from the cinema world live in another reality. They are not aware of the financial problems of the French. So they're basically saying these people are in la la land. We're not going to give them any more money.

[C]

Yeah. And they're going as far as suggesting that they could just scrap the CNC altogether, which would really kind of be a bombshell change in, in France.

[B]

Yeah. And so people who work in the French film industry, they say that this funding actually creates loads and loads of value for the French industry, for the French market. According to an estimate, it generated 12.6 billion of value added to the economy in 2022 and employs more than 260,000 people in France, which is pretty huge. Well, let's see what happens. I think this is going to be a really significant one. That's a great story out by Giorgio this morning, Folks. That's almost it from us today. Although I would love to hear Nick from our listeners because I think we can pretty safely say that our film tastes are a little limited given our choices.

[C]

Yeah, we came up with a grand total of two. One in Russian, dubbed into Russian.

[B]

Well, folks, tell us what we should be watching. Summer's coming up. I don't like sunshine. I'm just going to sit inside and watch movies. Tell us what you've got from your country or your favorite French film, whatever you're into. But actually, that reminds me, we've got a few letters from our letters. What am I talking about? They're not letters, they're WhatsApp notes, Nick. Because no one writes anymore. It's a lost art. We've got some notes from our WhatsApp line from folks who've been writing into the various questions we've had over the last month or so. So we had Jonathan from Switzerland who tells us what European identity means to him. He says French name, UK passport, Italian mother. Being European gave me an identity until it was robbed from me 10 years ago. Solution did my own Brexit and became Swiss.

[C]

Whoa, that took a twist. Wasn't expecting that.

[B]

Neither did I. He Brexited and. And. But to be fair, Switzerland's not in the eu, mate.

[C]

No, he self Brexited because he didn't like the way the EU was going.

[B]

I think this is a conversation.

[C]

Jonathan, tell us more.

[B]

Martin from the Netherlands. He does research on the topic of European identity among young people, and he reckons as a trend. So he says that for progressives, being European is linked to values like human rights and freedom of speech. For centrists, it's practical. So it's things like paying with the euro and traveling without borders, being able to make phone calls wherever you go. And for conservatives, it's about shared history and culture. Fascinating.

[C]

Really fascinating.

[B]

All right, folks, thanks for listening. Please do rate us, review us, send us your favorite feedback, Leave us a Note in our WhatsApp.

[C]

Send a letter.

[B]

I would love a letter. You know, the first person who sends me. We don't have merch on this podcast yet, but I will get merch for whoever sends me a physical letter.

[C]

There you have it.