France’s President Emmanuel Macron decides to go it alone

Late last month, before heading off on a four-country marathon of summits, Emmanuel Macron vowed to put together a coalition government that would reach from the Communists on the left to the Republicans on the right. After losing his parliamentary majority at a general election in June, the centrist French president hoped this might secure broad-church support. But on July 4th, after mainstream opposition parties on the left and right rejected his advances, Mr Macron shelved the plan. Instead he unveiled a reshuffled government made up largely of fellow centrists, which will govern with only minority support in parliament.

Many of those in top jobs remain, including Elisabeth Borne, the prime minister, Bruno Le Maire at finance, and Catherine Colonna, the foreign minister. The few outside political recruits include a former Communist, Olivier Klein, mayor of the Paris banlieue of Clichy-sous-Bois, who was named cities minister. Some loyal parliamentarians were rewarded, including Roland Lescure, who became industry minister. Given the prospect of greater parliamentarianism in France, however, this was not the heavyweight cross-party government that some had hoped to see.