"If approval was a criterion in this country, nothing would ever get done," Macron said last year. Prime Minister Manuel Valls ultimately had to force the so-called "Macron Law" through parliament without a vote to avoid leftist rebels sinking it. Macron has regularly faced accusations from fellow cabinet ministers that he is "distracted" by pursuing his own interests ahead of France's. Born in the northern French city of Amiens, Macron began his career with a masters in philosophy. In his dizzying rise to the top, Macron would meet and become a close ally of Hollande.

Source: The Local August 30, 2016 15:00 UTC