For several months now, the banquets organised by the group known as Le Canon français (French Canon) have been enjoying growing success across the country. Sometimes drawing several hundred, or even several thousand participants, these events celebrate a certain idea of French-style conviviality: long tables, local produce, regional wines, and unpretentious socialising. But their joie de vivre and the love of good food are not to everyone’s taste.
Le Canon français was born from the initiative of young, locally rooted entrepreneurs eager to promote French gastronomic traditions and a form of social interaction they believe is fading away. Their goal is simple: to recreate tangible moments of sharing, far removed from digital interactions and forms of socialising deemed disembodied—from remote work to dating apps.
The success of these banquets stems primarily from their deeply accessible and embodied nature. In a society marked by the fragmentation of social ties and the omnipresence of digital technology, these events offer a tangible experience: coming together in person, sharing a meal, and interacting without a screen in between. In this regard, they address a need widely identified by sociologists: that of rebuilding community ties in an environment perceived as increasingly fragmented.
Furthermore, these gatherings promote a certain vision of French local traditions. The concept is simple: on huge tables set in a casual, informal style, generous piles of hearty regional products—of which France is so rich—are heaped high, prepared in classic, crowd-pleasing recipes. From tartiflette to cassoulet, there’s something for every palate—provided you’re not too concerned about your waistline. Dishes and bottles are shared, and the musical entertainment gives equal prominence to traditional songs and French pop. Thanks to the guests, who proudly bear the name canonniers, the French-style meal—listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage—once again becomes a central moment in social life. For its promoters, it’s about defending a living heritage, rooted in local communities and daily customs.
All of this should be nothing more than a genuine moment of good cheer, for the pleasure of eating and drinking well. But nothing is trivial in this world anymore. As its success grows, Le Canon français is drawing sharp criticism, particularly from the Left. The refrains aren’t those of the traditional song, but they’ve been worn thin: sad censors accuse the movement of promoting an exclusionary vision of French culture or even of harbouring highly suspect conservative ideological undercurrents. Conservative billionaire Pierre-Edouard Stérin is a minority shareholder in the project, which is enough to cast suspicion on it. But beyond its funding, it is true that the love of dry sausage and a little white wine from the Loire sung by the canonniers de facto excludes a portion of the population that has come to ‘enrich’ French society. Is that a reason to condemn these foods to the pillory and refuse to celebrate them in public? Local elected officials and activists have repeatedly attempted to ban certain banquets, citing risks of public disorder or the dangerous promotion of a ‘repugnant’ ideology. Alas! The banquets are held nonetheless, often in private venues, and continue to draw ever-larger crowds.
These tensions were recently highlighted during a banquet organised in Caen, where the mobilisation of opponents—though outnumbered—led to verbal confrontations and significant media coverage. The organisation of an alternative picnic, which likely drew around thirty people, was more ridiculous than anything else. But the political attacks are heavy. Le Canon français has therefore chosen to change its strategy by announcing the filing of complaints, notably against La France Insoumise (LFI) MP Emma Fourreau, accused of helping to fuel the pressure aimed at preventing the event from taking place.
The organisers denounce repeated attempts at destabilisation, going so far as to pressure the owners of venues hosting the banquets. The latter sometimes find themselves caught between the economic appeal of these events and the risks of controversy or administrative sanctions. Some have ended up, much against their will, throwing in the towel, depriving themselves of a significant financial windfall when it comes to renovating the leaking roof of a 17th-century château.
The canonniers are beginning to tire of being cast as the new demons of modern times. Every year, rave parties draw thousands of rowdy revellers screaming and shouting the wildest things, who plunder and ravage the fields of poor farmers, yet the authorities never firmly crack down on these illegal gatherings. But the cheerful enthusiasts of terrine enjoyed to the tune of drinking songs dating back to the 15th century could not, for their part, indulge in their pastime without being suspected of singing the Horst-Wessel-Lied between bites of sauerkraut.
Another key element of the movement’s success lies in a phenomenon well known in political sociology: the reinforcement effect through criticism. Attempts to discredit or ban the movement, particularly when they come from politically identified actors, can produce the opposite effect of what is intended. By seeking to create a negative image, opponents paradoxically contribute to increasing the movement’s visibility and appeal, especially among an audience seeking cultural alternatives.
This dynamic is part of a broader context of distrust toward institutions and dominant discourses. For some participants, these banquets appear as a form of response to what they perceive as a devaluation of traditional practices, notably the family meal or the consumption of local products. When a Green Party lawmaker sees grilled meat as a symbol of macho domination, it only makes us enjoy biting into a nice ribeye steak more. But Géraud de la Tour, founder of the banquets, does not want to be drawn down the slippery slope of an exclusively political battle: “By constantly censoring and insulting us, they’re turning us, in the eyes of the public, into symbols of the war against LFI (La France Insoumise),” the young entrepreneur explained to Le Figaro. “That’s not our issue! Our events aren’t politicised and aren’t meant to be a battleground for extremes. We just want to be left alone!”
It would indeed be simplistic to view this phenomenon as a mere binary opposition between two worldviews. The success of Le Canon français reveals a deep-seated aspiration: that of rediscovering simple forms of conviviality, rooted in reality, in a context where social interactions get empty and meaningless. This aspiration goes far beyond traditional political divides.
The Left has no intention of backing down. The banquet scheduled to take place in Quimper on December 5th is threatened with cancellation, requested by the Quimper-Bretagne metropolitan area and by the city’s Socialist mayor, who is considering revoking the lease for the venue where the banquet is to be held. Will the Breton sausage have the last word? We hope so!
Le Canon Français: Banqueting, the New Face of the Far Right
Courtesy of Le Canon français, Paul Bellenfant
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For several months now, the banquets organised by the group known as Le Canon français (French Canon) have been enjoying growing success across the country. Sometimes drawing several hundred, or even several thousand participants, these events celebrate a certain idea of French-style conviviality: long tables, local produce, regional wines, and unpretentious socialising. But their joie de vivre and the love of good food are not to everyone’s taste.
Le Canon français was born from the initiative of young, locally rooted entrepreneurs eager to promote French gastronomic traditions and a form of social interaction they believe is fading away. Their goal is simple: to recreate tangible moments of sharing, far removed from digital interactions and forms of socialising deemed disembodied—from remote work to dating apps.
The success of these banquets stems primarily from their deeply accessible and embodied nature. In a society marked by the fragmentation of social ties and the omnipresence of digital technology, these events offer a tangible experience: coming together in person, sharing a meal, and interacting without a screen in between. In this regard, they address a need widely identified by sociologists: that of rebuilding community ties in an environment perceived as increasingly fragmented.
Furthermore, these gatherings promote a certain vision of French local traditions. The concept is simple: on huge tables set in a casual, informal style, generous piles of hearty regional products—of which France is so rich—are heaped high, prepared in classic, crowd-pleasing recipes. From tartiflette to cassoulet, there’s something for every palate—provided you’re not too concerned about your waistline. Dishes and bottles are shared, and the musical entertainment gives equal prominence to traditional songs and French pop. Thanks to the guests, who proudly bear the name canonniers, the French-style meal—listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage—once again becomes a central moment in social life. For its promoters, it’s about defending a living heritage, rooted in local communities and daily customs.
All of this should be nothing more than a genuine moment of good cheer, for the pleasure of eating and drinking well. But nothing is trivial in this world anymore. As its success grows, Le Canon français is drawing sharp criticism, particularly from the Left. The refrains aren’t those of the traditional song, but they’ve been worn thin: sad censors accuse the movement of promoting an exclusionary vision of French culture or even of harbouring highly suspect conservative ideological undercurrents. Conservative billionaire Pierre-Edouard Stérin is a minority shareholder in the project, which is enough to cast suspicion on it. But beyond its funding, it is true that the love of dry sausage and a little white wine from the Loire sung by the canonniers de facto excludes a portion of the population that has come to ‘enrich’ French society. Is that a reason to condemn these foods to the pillory and refuse to celebrate them in public? Local elected officials and activists have repeatedly attempted to ban certain banquets, citing risks of public disorder or the dangerous promotion of a ‘repugnant’ ideology. Alas! The banquets are held nonetheless, often in private venues, and continue to draw ever-larger crowds.
These tensions were recently highlighted during a banquet organised in Caen, where the mobilisation of opponents—though outnumbered—led to verbal confrontations and significant media coverage. The organisation of an alternative picnic, which likely drew around thirty people, was more ridiculous than anything else. But the political attacks are heavy. Le Canon français has therefore chosen to change its strategy by announcing the filing of complaints, notably against La France Insoumise (LFI) MP Emma Fourreau, accused of helping to fuel the pressure aimed at preventing the event from taking place.
The organisers denounce repeated attempts at destabilisation, going so far as to pressure the owners of venues hosting the banquets. The latter sometimes find themselves caught between the economic appeal of these events and the risks of controversy or administrative sanctions. Some have ended up, much against their will, throwing in the towel, depriving themselves of a significant financial windfall when it comes to renovating the leaking roof of a 17th-century château.
The canonniers are beginning to tire of being cast as the new demons of modern times. Every year, rave parties draw thousands of rowdy revellers screaming and shouting the wildest things, who plunder and ravage the fields of poor farmers, yet the authorities never firmly crack down on these illegal gatherings. But the cheerful enthusiasts of terrine enjoyed to the tune of drinking songs dating back to the 15th century could not, for their part, indulge in their pastime without being suspected of singing the Horst-Wessel-Lied between bites of sauerkraut.
Another key element of the movement’s success lies in a phenomenon well known in political sociology: the reinforcement effect through criticism. Attempts to discredit or ban the movement, particularly when they come from politically identified actors, can produce the opposite effect of what is intended. By seeking to create a negative image, opponents paradoxically contribute to increasing the movement’s visibility and appeal, especially among an audience seeking cultural alternatives.
This dynamic is part of a broader context of distrust toward institutions and dominant discourses. For some participants, these banquets appear as a form of response to what they perceive as a devaluation of traditional practices, notably the family meal or the consumption of local products. When a Green Party lawmaker sees grilled meat as a symbol of macho domination, it only makes us enjoy biting into a nice ribeye steak more. But Géraud de la Tour, founder of the banquets, does not want to be drawn down the slippery slope of an exclusively political battle: “By constantly censoring and insulting us, they’re turning us, in the eyes of the public, into symbols of the war against LFI (La France Insoumise),” the young entrepreneur explained to Le Figaro. “That’s not our issue! Our events aren’t politicised and aren’t meant to be a battleground for extremes. We just want to be left alone!”
It would indeed be simplistic to view this phenomenon as a mere binary opposition between two worldviews. The success of Le Canon français reveals a deep-seated aspiration: that of rediscovering simple forms of conviviality, rooted in reality, in a context where social interactions get empty and meaningless. This aspiration goes far beyond traditional political divides.
The Left has no intention of backing down. The banquet scheduled to take place in Quimper on December 5th is threatened with cancellation, requested by the Quimper-Bretagne metropolitan area and by the city’s Socialist mayor, who is considering revoking the lease for the venue where the banquet is to be held. Will the Breton sausage have the last word? We hope so!
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