France
Like him or loathe him, Macron is Europe's driving force
If you want to know why Marine Le Pen almost certainly won’t win the French presidency on 24 April, listen…
The mysteries and rituals of French democracy
Montpellier I have never voted in an election for president of France, not being French. But as a councillor in…
The strange revival of France’s Jean-Luc Mélenchon
Jean-Luc Mélenchon is on the march once more, rising up the polls and laying bare the ineptitude of the Socialist…
Progressives vs populists: Macron, Orban and Europe’s faultline
It’s the progressives vs the populists, Macron vs Orban
Macron has taken this election for granted
Things are going from bad to worse for Emmanuel Macron, and for the first time political commentators in France are…
Could Marine Le Pen actually win?
Emmanuel Macron is worried. This wasn’t how he had envisaged the election. A month ago the president of France held…
Was another tragic Jewish death covered up in France?
Not for the first time in France the death of a Jew is dominating the news, and not for the…
Could the Corsica revolts spread all over France?
The Colonnas in Corsica are a bit like the Smiths in Britain. We are numerous. But in smart Parisian circles,…
Will Macron surrender to the mob?
It has been a torrid few days in France. In the early hours of Saturday morning, a former Argentine rugby…
France is strong where Britain and America are weak
Emmanuel Macron unveiled his campaign manifesto in a carefully orchestrated press conference on Thursday and his pledges to cut taxes…
The shadowy charisma of the Mater Dei sisters
Catriona has a commission to paint the 17th-century façade of the chapel of St Joseph’s. She’d made a start when…
The Macron Paradox
With just 24 days to go before the first round of French presidential voting, the political landscape has become borderline surreal,…
Putin’s invasion has collapsed the French right
At the time it probably felt like a good idea for Marine Le Pen’s campaign team. A photo of her…
Macron appears unassailable
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France for whom few voters have expressed much affection, is suddenly the leader of a…
What's behind the wave of French police suicides?
Since Russia invaded Ukraine last week the western media has focused on little else. In Britain this concentration is understandable:…
The joy of French car boot sales
Every Saturday morning Michael rises at four and drives down to the Côte d’Azur to the Magic World car boot…
Why does Macron keep meddling in international crises?
Macron’s global posturing may prove to be his downfall
Macron’s posturing as a global statesman will get him re-elected
It is bordering on tasteless amidst the horror of war in Europe to question the political impact of the conflict…
Has Putin outplayed Macron in Africa?
While the world is focused on Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron has withdrawn all French forces from Mali. Last weekend, thousands of…
Is the New York Times right to say Muslims are fleeing France?
Has the New York Times found a new bête noire? It was for a number of years Britain, damned for…
Macron’s diplomatic failure in Russia was still a political success
President Emmanuel Macron may or may not have imagined that his mission to Moscow would head off armed conflict in…
How the Ukraine crisis ends
Vladimir Putin does not think in the way the West does. Of course sanctions will hurt. But so what? He…
Macron’s energy intervention has seriously backfired
He intervened decisively. He showed the ability of the state to make a difference. And he demonstrated that greedy, self-interested…
Is President Macron’s re-election as safe as it looks?
In February 1995, Jacques Chirac was at 12 per cent in the polls. Two months later he was president. Two…
Shadows of Macron: could Valérie Pécresse become France’s first female president?
Could Valérie Pécresse become France’s first female president?
