The unravelling of France’s centrist project
There is a real chance that power will fall into the hands of the extremes
When Emmanuel Macron took to the stage at the United Nations in New York on September 22nd and 23rd he made one landmark speech to declare France’s recognition of a Palestinian state, and another in defence of multilateralism. The first earned him warm applause; the second reminded his remaining supporters why they voted for him. “We have no right to cynicism. We have no right to fatigue. We have no right to the spirit of defeat,” he declared. Mr Macron remains a vigorous figure in foreign affairs. Yet no amount of energetic diplomacy abroad can mask what is happening at home: the unravelling of his great centrist venture.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “The loneliness at the centre of Europe”
From the October 4th 2025 edition
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