Friends, foes and federalists

There are still signs of intellectual life in France

Emmanuel Macron, a young former banker, is pushing through reforms of the French economy. But how far will Hollande let him go?

Can a new Prime Minister save François Hollande?

As sexual politics hits the headlines in France, Lucy Wadham considers why the mystique of the French woman holds such enduring appeal

A referendum on independence is due, but saying farewell to the “free baguette” may prove unpalatable to many in France's neo-empire

Will Ségolène Royal be the Socialist presidential candidate next year? Not if the rest of her misogynistic party have anything to do with it

Régis Debray recalls friendship and disillusionment with François Mitterrand, and unravels the political psychology of a man whose inconsistencies helped unite a fractious country