Macron's choice: Can the president break France's political impasse?

Paris got 46 hours of sunlight in November. The weather wasn’t particularly cold, it was only slightly wetter than usual, but definitely grey. As for France's political climate, the deadlock's enough to make the natives want to hibernate.

Emmanuel Macron to name his fourth prime minister of 2024 after a divided parliament ousted the minority government of veteran conservative Michel Barnier. After a surprise call of snap elections, the French president then waited nearly two months to name Barnier and try to double down on a core of centrists and conservatives to pass a budget.  

With the country constitutionally unable to return to the polls to replace the hung parliament until summer, will Macron try to change tack and offer concessions to the oppositions, even attempt a German-style grand coalition? France is an outlier in Europe: when there’s a majority in the legislature, its president has outsized powers with the ability to micro-manage day-to-day affairs.   

Can the French do compromise? The far left and far right have their eyes on the big prize, the next presidential election in 2027 and demand purity tests of their faithful and allies. But then, how do you get a budget over the line? And does the system safeguard against illiberal methods. One week after South Korea’s president tried and failed at martial law, as the West prepares for the return of Donald Trump … how will France’s democracy weather what’s ahead? 

Produced by Rebecca Gnignati, Elisa Amiri, Ilayda Habip.