Macron’s challenge

In the United States, the election this year could well be contested by an incumbent president in his 80s and a challenger aged 78. Age is no barrier to high office, whether political or corporate. In Europe, the opposite is happening. Britain has a prime minister aged 43 and France a president who will not even have passed 50 by the time he completes his second, and final, term.

But youth has not spared Emmanuel Macron the vicissitudes of old-fashioned political intrigue. He has been governing without a working majority for his Renaissance party in the National Assembly, and a string of unpopular policies has seen support for Marine le Pen’s National Rally growing.

His response has been to drop the prime minister Elisabeth Borne and replace her with 34-year-old education minister Gabriel Attal. His aim is to breathe new life into his presidency ahead of European parliament elections in the spring at which National Rally is forecast to do well amid concerns over immigration.

Under pressure from the Right, President Macron was required to accept tougher policies on migration recently, reducing access to welfare benefits for foreigners, toughening rules for overseas students and introducing annual migration quotas. Ms le Pen hailed the legislation as an “ideological victory” for the Right and it has led to splits in Mr Macron’s centrist coalition.

The president’s appointment of Mr Attal, France’s youngest and first openly gay prime minister, suggests he might be his chosen successor to contest the presidency in 2027. Mr Macron is desperate to avoid his legacy being the election of Marine le Pen to the Elysee Palace. The president of her party, Jordan Bardella, is only 28.