National front-runner: who can beat Le Pen?

Sep 23, 2026 20 min

About this episode

Marine Le Pen, party leader of France’s populist-right National Rally, starts her fourth presidential bid with a commanding lead. The country’s political centre is broad, fragmented—and <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/09/14/frances-centre-has-one-question-who-can-beat-marine-le-pen?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flagging</a>. A buffer zone against so-called infiltrators in India’s West Bengal state is making life <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/09/17/to-keep-out-infiltrators-india-is-trapping-its-own-citizens?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">miserable</a> also for Indian citizens. And how Argentina’s supply of horses and cowboys led to world <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/08/19/polos-lessons-for-argentina?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dominance</a> in polo. Guests and host:<ul><li>Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief </li><li>Kira Huju, Asia correspondent</li><li>Hamish Clayton, culture writer</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul>Topics covered: <ul><li>French politics, Marine Le Pen</li><li>India, West Bengal, Bangladesh, Hindu nationalism</li><li>Argentina, polo</li></ul>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a>. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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