Why France's centre-left resists globalisation

Washington, DC

POPULAR uprisings across France are threatening to shatter the hope that so many had placed in French President Emmanuel Macron after his election in May 2017. With his party, La République En Marche !, having secured an absolute parliamentary majority, Mr Macron promised to pursue difficult reforms not just in France, but also within the European Union. But now he is facing the biggest crisis of his presidency.

Revitalisation of the EU has long depended on a strong French leader capable of overhauling the country's economy. Before the proposed fuel tax that brought the Yellow Vests into the streets in November, Mr Macron had managed to overcome opposition to a series of labour-market reforms. Though politically difficult, the reforms were necessary to bring the budget deficit below 3 per cent of GDP, in accordance with EU rules, and modernise France's generous social-security system in the face of disruptive new technologies.