The Moralizing Progressivism That Fueled the Right

In a compelling new essay, former presidential advisor Aquilino Morelle presents a stark diagnosis of contemporary political malaise. His book, La France au miroir de l'Amérique, published by Grasset, dissects the parallel rises of Donald Trump's movement in the United States and Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement national in France.

Morelle, who served as a close advisor to former French President François Hollande, argues that the true catalyst for this right-wing surge was not merely economic anxiety, but a profound cultural backlash. The central thesis is that progressive forces, rather than being innocent victims, actively cultivated the conditions for their own political undoing through a specific brand of moralizing rhetoric.

The core of Morelle's argument rests on a critical examination of progressive strategy and communication. He contends that a moralizing tone became the dominant mode of progressive politics, creating a deep and lasting alienation among large segments of the population. This approach, rather than persuading, ended up condemning and lecturing, effectively building a wall between progressive elites and the working-class communities they claimed to represent.

By prioritizing a specific set of cultural and social dictates, the movement inadvertently created a powerful vacuum. This vacuum was not filled by traditional conservatives, but by a new breed of populist insurgents who masterfully weaponized the perceived arrogance of the establishment. The analysis suggests a fundamental strategic error:

• Alienating traditional voter bases with cultural demands
• Replacing economic arguments with moral judgments
• Creating a political identity based on exclusion
• Underestimating the backlash to 'enlightened' leadership

The book's comparative approach reveals a disturbing transatlantic pattern. Morelle asserts that the political dynamics that propelled Donald Trump to the White House are not unique to the American context. Instead, they find a direct and powerful echo in France's own political upheavals, particularly the sustained ascent of the Rassemblement national.

This shared trajectory points to a crisis of the traditional left. The author's perspective is particularly insightful given his own political background. Having served at the heart of the French socialist executive, his critique carries the weight of insider experience. He sees a left that has lost its way, abandoning its core economic mission for a divisive cultural crusade.

The moralizing progressivism of the left has made the bed for the trumpist and national rally right.

Faced with this bleak assessment, Morelle does not simply diagnose the problem; he proposes a radical solution. The answer, in his view, is not to retreat further into liberal orthodoxy but to embrace a populism of the left. This is not a call for the traditional left, but for a new political formation that can reconnect with the people on their own terms.

This proposed 'left-wing populism' would need to fundamentally reorient its priorities. It would have to abandon the cultural elite and its preoccupations to focus on the material and dignitarian concerns of the majority. The goal is to build a political movement that speaks to shared interests and common identity, rather than one that divides through moralizing judgments and social engineering. It is a plea for a left that is once again the voice of the people, not their instructor.

Aquilino Morelle's essay serves as a profound warning to progressive movements worldwide. The central message is that political failure is often self-inflicted, born of strategic blindness and a disconnect from lived realities. The rise of the far-right is presented not as an unstoppable force of nature, but as a direct consequence of the left's own choices.

The path forward, as outlined by Morelle, requires a painful self-assessment and a willingness to abandon long-held assumptions. For the left to regain its relevance and power, it must stop lecturing and start listening. The future of progressive politics may depend on its ability to forge a new, authentic connection with the populations it has too often alienated.