Found an error?
Report now
Michel Houellebecq repeatedly criticizes his native France.
IMAGO/Independent Photo Agency Int.
The French star author Michel Houellebecq repeatedly causes offense with his books. Democracy is not a universal value for him, but he explicitly praises Switzerland.
In his books, French star author Michel Houellebecq repeatedly takes issue with the cultural and political values of his home country and the West as a whole. The latter seems to have gotten off to a "bad start", he says in an interview with RTS television in western Switzerland.
According to Houellebecq, the "current wars and threats" also reveal that the West as a whole is weakened. The author does not consider individual freedom and democracy to be universal principles; the very idea is "presumptuous".
His criticism is directed in particular at representative democracy, as practised in almost all Western countries - including in his home country. The star author sharply criticizes democracy in France: "I don't think I live in a democracy," says Houellebecq. "We absolutely must give the people a voice," says the author, adding: "The parties do not represent the voters." According to the author, this is particularly evident in the current debate on euthanasia. The majority of supporters of the parties that are against it are in favor of it.
He sees Switzerland as a role model when it comes to democracy: "For me, the only true democracy is direct democracy," says Houellebecq, praising in particular the fact that Switzerland allows its citizens to regularly vote on specific issues.
Michel Houellebecq is considered one of France's most translated and at the same time most controversial authors. For some, he is a cynical provocateur, for others an astute analyst of Western societies.
In 2010, he was awarded the Prix Goncourt for "Map and Territory", while his 2015 novel "Submission", in which France is ruled by a Muslim president, sparked heated political debate - and not just in Houellebecq's home country.
