France
Explore our coverage of France’s politics, economics, business and culture, in articles, charts, podcasts and video
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Europe
A crushing blow for Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance
A big turnout for Le Pen’s hard right makes clear the president’s gamble backfired spectacularly
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Europe
France heads to the polls in a critical parliamentary vote
Marine Le Pen’s hard-right party is expecting a massive surge
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Europe
Emmanuel Macron’s centrists are facing a disastrous first-round vote
Marine Le Pen’s party will be the main beneficiary
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Leaders
Macron has done well by France. But he risks throwing it all away
After the election, populists of the right and left could hobble a centrist president
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Business
Is the revival of Paris in peril?
The French election threatens a remarkable commercial renaissance
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Europe
The alarming foreign policies of France’s hard right and hard left
They could weaken NATO and the West
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Europe
The economic recklessness of both France’s hard left and hard right
They favour soaking the rich, big spending and business-bashing
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Europe
Hard-right parties are entering government across Europe
Germany is among a dwindling number of holdouts
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Europe
Emmanuel Macron faces heavy losses after a short campaign
The next French government may be led by the hard right or hard left
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Leaders
Emmanuel Macron’s project of reform is at risk
A snap election in France reveals the flimsiness of his legacy
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The Economist explains
How political “cohabitation” works in France
Upcoming parliamentary elections could lead to a new period of political friction
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Finance & economics
How bad could things get in France?
The country’s next prime minister faces a brutal fiscal crunch
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Europe
A hard-right 28-year-old could soon be France’s prime minister
Jordan Bardella is poised, social-media savvy and enigmatic
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Europe
France is being thrown into uncharted territory
It could soon have a government led by the hard-left or hard-right
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Culture
How Les Bleus went from zeroes to heroes
“Va-Va-Voom” chronicles the turnaround of the French men’s national team
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Europe
Beyond France, the European elections will deliver more of the same
Outside France and Germany, the centre has largely held