The Big Picture

Vincent Boland: A vibrant civil society is a vital bulwark against the arrogance of power

French president Emmanuel Macron’s condescending style of leadership has turned all of France against him, but he’s far from the only leader these days to attempt to remake his country’s body politic in his own image

French president Emmanuel Macron’s heavy-handed approach to bringing in a later retirement age has sparked mass demonstrations in France. Picture: NurPhoto via Getty