Emmanuel Macron and the two years that changed France

This book looks at the period 2015-18 in French politics, a turbulent time that witnessed the apparent collapse of the old party system, the taming of populist and left-wing challenges to the Republic and the emergence of a new political order centred on President Emmanuel Macron. The election of Macron was greeted with relief in European chancelleries and appeared to give a new impetus to European integration, even accomplishing the feat of making France attractive after a long period of French bashing and reflexive decline. But what is the real significance of the Macron presidency? Is it as transformative as it appears? Emmanuel Macron and the two years that changed France provides a balanced answer to this pressing question. It is written to appeal to a general readership with an interest in French and European politics, as well as to students and scholars of French politics.

Autorentext
Alistair Cole is Professor of Comparative Politics at the Institute of Political Studies, Lyon and Professor of Politics at Cardiff University

Klappentext
This book examines the period 201518 in French politics, a turbulent time that saw the apparent collapse of the old party system, followed by the taming of populist and left-wing challenges to the Republic through the emergence of a new political order centred on President Emmanuel Macron. The election of Emmanuel Macron was greeted with relief by governments across Europe. It appeared to give a new impetus to European integration, making France attractive after a long period of French-bashing and reflexive decline. But subsequent events, from the Benalla affair to the appearance of the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) movement in late 2018, have raised questions about the significance of the Macron presidency. Is it really as transformative as it first appeared?Emmanuel Macron and the two years that changed France provides a balanced answer to this pressing question. Examining broader developments through the prism of competitive politics in France, it addresses the issue of rising disillusionment with political institutions and parties, and the capacity of political leadership to restore trust. It is written to appeal to general readers with an interest in French and European politics, as well as to students and scholars of French society.

Inhalt
Foreword by Robert ElgiePrefaceIntroduction: two years that changed France Part I: Out with the old1 2016: François Hollande's *annus horribilis*2 Bye bye Mr Sarkozy, hello Mr Nobody 3 The socialists in search of survivalPart II: A spring revolution 4 Of volcanoes and earthquakes: looking back at the 2017 presidential and parliamentary elections5 Macron's political leadership 6 Global MacronConclusion: Emmanuel Macron and the remaking of FranceIndex