| Like many others, I watched French President Emmanuel Macron speaking to the press on Wednesday (16 January), and I was among those disappointed but not surprised. Macron has outstanding oratory skills, but beautiful phrases could not mask the lack of political substance expected from the leader of the only EU country with a permanent seat at the UN Security Council and the only one possessing a nuclear arsenal. The EU needs leadership, and France was expected to provide more of it, especially after Brexit. The best leadership, of course, is to lead by example. Unfortunately, France is not in great shape to lead, especially since Macron lost his parliamentary majority after a crushing blow in the June 2022 parliamentary elections. The parliamentary election saw a new left-wing alliance make gains to become the main opposition. At the same time, the far right under Marine Le Pen posted its best legislative performance in its history. This was a significant blow for Macron, who had just started his second presidential term. This should normally be his best time because, in a second mandate, a president is independent and able to push for reforms and the country’s interests without worrying about his rating and re-election. His push for pension reform will be remembered by big protests against the reform bill proposed by the government to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64. France has a bizarre legal way for the government to ignore Parliament. Article 49.3 of the French Constitution allows governments to bypass the National Assembly and force through bills without a vote. | 