Macron was the great hope for centrists. Despite his struggles, the hope is not lost | John Lichfield
by John Lichfield from on (#4XEJ0)
The French president has been chastened by strikes and protests but there is all to play for in 2020
Consider a tale of two New Year's Eve messages. Boris Johnson, speaking from London on social media, was brief, jolly and vacuous. Emmanuel Macron, speaking from Paris on nationwide television, was wordy, abstract and downbeat.
President Macron pledged that the 2020s would be a decade led by "France and Europe". He managed to make even that sound dull. Johnson spoke in the giddy aftermath of a great election victory. Macron spoke during the longest rail and metro strike in recent French history.
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