The closest France has come since is the Fifth Republic, now in its 66th year. Its architect General de Gaulle – a closet monarchist – only accepted a return to power in 1958 to save the ...

The pillars of France’s 66-year-old Fifth Republic appear fundamentally ill-equipped to withstand this unprecedented onslaught of domestic and international crises. Macron’s room for maneuver is ...

In the stand-off, 73-year-old Barnier has little to lose. After a long political career, he knew that accepting the premiership was a final roll of the dice. By contrast the stakes are high for Le Pen ...