You’ve heard this before, but we need to say it again: French President Emmanuel Macron pulled off something extraordinary in 2017. “This Sunday, you gave a clear majority to the president of the republic and to the government,” said Édouard Philippe, France’s prime minister. There will be a struggle.”Since coming to power, Macron has already set about asserting himself as a figure of global heft. In a marked departure from his affable, chatty persona on the campaign trail, Macron has retreated from the press since becoming president. We'll see how long he'll be able to remain above the fray, but the French president is in a position of strength that leaders of most other democracies would envy.

Source: Washington Post June 19, 2017 05:03 UTC