
For only the second time, France has a female prime minister
Élisabeth Borne is a safe choice for Emmanuel Macron, but the symbolism of her appointment matters.
ByReviewing politics
and culture since 1913
Read the New Statesman’s latest comment, long-read features and analysis on France.
Élisabeth Borne is a safe choice for Emmanuel Macron, but the symbolism of her appointment matters.
By Ido VockAn electoral pact between the main parties of the left aims to win a parliamentary majority in June's elections.
By Ido VockThe problem for UK centrists is that the median voter in the median British constituency would have voted for Le…
By David GaukeThe French president is making ambitious climate claims. But will his poor track record improve in his second term?
By Philippa NuttallThe far-right leader bettered her 2017 performance, but not enough to create the momentum her presidential campaign needs.
By Ido VockIn 2017 Emmanuel Macron pledged to weaken the support for Marine Le Pen’s party. Five years on it is stronger…
By Jeremy CliffeFrance still lies in the shadow of Charles de Gaulle.
By Jeremy Cliffe and Adrian BradleyThe election of the far-right candidate would likely derail Europe’s net zero ambitions.
By Philippa NuttallThe far-right leader has worked hard to detoxify her image, but scratch off the campaign polish and the same philosophy…
By Andrew HusseyDespite doing better than expected in the first round, there is a realisation that the run-off campaign could go either…
By Ido VockThe far-right leader is closer than she has ever been to power, a YouGov and Datapraxis poll shows.
By Ido VockThe far-right leader’s longstanding strategy of pushing left on economic issues appears a wise choice amid a cost-of-living crisis.
By Ido VockIf enough left-wing supporters vote tactically for Jean-Luc Mélenchon, he may be able to squeak through to the second round.
By Ido VockAs France's presidential election nears against the backdrop of war, our writer travels from the Channel to the Mediterranean.
By Jeremy CliffeThe war in Ukraine has marked a turning point for the EU, and Emmanuel Macron is leading the way.
By Mujtaba RahmanWill Emmanuel Macron hold on? The latest from the New Statesman’s poll tracker.
By Ben WalkerZemmour’s sexism is a throwback to the pre-Marine Le Pen days of French nationalism, and it will hurt him at…
By Annabelle ChapmanThe French president is perhaps better placed than most Western leaders to talk to Vladimir Putin.
By Ido VockCollecting 500 signatures should be little more than a formality, but not for Éric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen.
By Ido VockIn calling for stronger external borders around the Schengen Area, the French president is making a political argument.
By Ido Vock