IN THE first test of his promise to bridge the party divide, Emmanuel Macron has appointed a government marked by political balance, novelty and competence. A day after his inauguration on May 14th, France’s president named as prime minister Edouard Philippe, the centre-right mayor of Le Havre, to counterbalance his own roots on the left. Two days later, he unveiled a post-partisan team of ministers that mixes left and right, old and new.
The appointment of Mr Philippe was a coup of sorts. A year ago, when the 39-year-old Mr Macron launched his political movement, En Marche! (“On the Move!”), he vowed to “unblock” France by ending the confrontational division between left and right. Yet in reality, the bulk of his supporters came from the left or the centre. The Republicans, who want to form a solid block in parliament after legislative elections on June 11th and 18th, proved largely immune to Mr Macron’s charms.
Mr Philippe, however, succumbed. A...Continue reading
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