The rotten heart of the French republic
The crisis in France only benefits the hard right, who will exploit it to reshape French politics.
ByEmmanuel Macron
At the age of 39, in 2017, Emmanuel Macron became the youngest president of the French Fifth Republic. He had only founded his centrist political party, En Marche, in April 2016. In April 2022 he won a second term as president of the EU’s second-largest economy, which no French president had achieved in 20 years. He studied at the prestigious Henri IV high school in Paris, and he studied philosophy and later attended the École Nationale d’Administration. Find our latest news and comment here.
Is Emmanuel Macron scared of Europe?
The French president is increasingly adrift in a changing continent.
By
The French right can’t quit Russia
A former prime minister’s parliamentary testimony highlights persistent pro-Moscow sympathies among France’s elite.
By
Is Emmanuel Macron running out of options?
The French president is at risk of being remembered not as an ambitious reformer but as the leader who handed…
By
Emmanuel Macron’s appeasement tour is off to a rough start
As he visits the regions, can the French leader move on from the pension reform protests and relaunch his presidency?
By
Xi and Putin: are there limits to the “no limits” friendship?
The two leaders seek to remake the global order, while Turkey braces itself for a hotly contested May election.
What should Europe’s position on Taiwan be?
Emmanuel Macron says Europe should stop “following” the US, while Joe Biden visits Belfast.
Emmanuel Macron’s vision for Europe still doesn’t match reality
As long as the defence of the continent depends on American goodwill, Europe cannot credibly distance itself from the US…
By
Macron’s interior minister signals his authoritarian shift
As the French president endures weekly protests, Gérald Darmanin has emerged as his most prominent law and order hard-liner.
By
Emmanuel Macron has no regrets
A combative and unremorseful interview by the French president, the first since forcing his retirement reform through parliament, is unlikely…
By
Chaos erupts over Emmanuel Macron’s retirement reforms
The French president’s decision to bypass parliament has caused outrage and sparked significant protests this weekend.
By
Emmanuel Macron has shown his contempt for democracy
His decision to override parliament to raise the retirement age has enraged MPs and the public.
By
Emmanuel Macron is right to want to return African art to Africa
He just needs to do it faster.
By
Can the left defeat Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform?
Trade unions and left-wing parties have threatened to “bring France to a standstill” in March if the president does not…
By
Nato’s taboo of not sending tanks to Ukraine is slowly being broken
The West’s military aid to Ukraine is getting heavier and heavier.
By
What would it take to make Vladimir Putin feel secure?
A security guarantee could be the only way the Kremlin would be persuaded to end its war on Ukraine.
By
Emmanuel Macron is undermining French support for Ukraine
Paris’s commendable backing to Kyiv is too often obscured by the president’s erraticness.
By
Why Rishi Sunak should be talking about condoms
Free contraception will be available to all under-25s in French pharmacies. British politicians should take note.
By
Emmanuel Macron: the man who would be king
How the French president became the most powerful leader in Europe and a hyperactive player on the world stage.
By
Why we need a train network like France’s
While Birmingham and Leeds wait for metros, Emmanuel Macron is rolling out Paris-style trains in cities across France.
By