This episode was made with the help of AI.
A woman puts socks on her dog to protect its paws from broken glass. In Paris, shops have been looted and storefronts smashed. But while some neighbourhoods have been hit hard by the riots, life goes on elsewhere. Stefan Brändle, France correspondent for the FUNKE Media Group, describes what he has witnessed on the streets of the French capital.
The protests began with school students demanding better learning conditions. But other groups quickly joined them. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the rising cost of living, social inequality and the French government's policies. At the same time, violent riots broke out. Who is behind the violence? What role do far-left groups, France's suburbs and the debate over migration play? And what political consequences could the unrest have for Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon?
Protest researcher Simon Teune explains in a conversation with Jan Jessen how violence at demonstrations can escalate and why social media draw attention to burning cars and street clashes. He also explores why protests in France work differently from those in Germany.
Could similar riots happen in Germany? This episode of Im Krisenmodus examines the potential for protests in Germany, why political discontent does not automatically lead to violence, and the role protest movements themselves can play in de-escalation. Jan Jessen also discusses the risk of foreign actors deliberately fuelling social tensions through disinformation.
Featured in this episode
Jan Jessen – Head of Politics at NRZ and war and crisis reporter for the FUNKE Media Group
Stefan Brändle – France correspondent for the FUNKE central editorial team in Paris
Dr Simon Teune – Political sociologist and protest researcher based in Berlin
Chapters
01 | Paris after the riots – Stefan Brändle reports on the destruction on the streets of the French capital.
02 | How student protests become a mass movement – The causes of the protests and the different groups taking to the streets.
03 | Who is behind the violence? – Far-left groups, looting and the debate over migration.
04 | Why violence escalates – Simon Teune on confrontations with police, France's political system and the role of social media.
05 | Macron, Le Pen and Mélenchon – The potential political consequences of the riots and comparisons with Germany.
06 | Could this happen in Germany? – Differences between protest cultures and why discontent does not automatically lead to violence.
07 | How violence can be contained – The role protest movements themselves can play in de-escalation.
Cover image
A demonstrator holding a French national flag in front of a fire during the riots in Marseille on 17 October 2026. Protests against the rising cost of living have brought various groups onto the streets across France.
Photo: Thibaud Moritz / AFP
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Im Krisenmodus is a podcast by FUNKE Media Group.
