Emmanuel Macron’s win in the 2022 French presidential election arrived at a moment of intense political polarization across France. The divided state of French politics has continued to limit Macron’s success, already undermined by the lowest turnout in a French presidential election since 1969 and a smaller-than-expected margin of victory. Is Macron, polling at 35% in October, falling out of favor with the French? How should we evaluate the first six months of his second term? What challenges does a minority government face in modern-day France? And what sort of prognoses can we draw from this about centrism in Europe today? In partnership with the Overseas Press Club of America (OPC), we invite a panel of experts to analyze the state of French politics, what led up to this, and what this means for the future. This discussion will be moderated by Vivienne Walt.
About the speakers:
Constant Méheut is a reporter in the Paris bureau of the New York Times, covering France. He joined the Paris bureau in 2020, after graduating from HEC Paris and MGIMO university in Moscow with a dual master’s degree in business and international relations. Méheut has reported the 2022 presidential campaign in France and the rise of the French far right.
Vivienne Walt is a Paris correspondent for TIME Magazine and Fortune Magazine. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, BusinessWeek, and more. She is governor of the Overseas Press Club of America.
Matthew Dalton is a reporter in the Wall Street Journal Paris bureau where he covers climate change, energy security and European politics and foreign policy. Before moving to Paris, he was a reporter in the Journal’s Brussels bureau for seven years, where his coverage ranged from the eurozone economic crisis to Islamist militancy in Europe.
Thierry Arnaud is currently international editor for French news network BFMTV. Thierry joined BFMTV in 2006 as its US Correspondent, and later served as the network political editor for six years. He was managing editor for sister network BFM Business from 2019 to 2022. Thierry started in career in print journalism, and was based for several of these years in London and New York.
Victor Mallet has covered France in three stints, and was the Financial Time‘s Paris bureau chief until last September. He has spent three decades covering Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and has written two books, on the Ganges River and the modernisation of south-east Asia.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Abboud, Méheut, Arnaud and Walt will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Please note the Daylight Savings gap between the US and France. This event will take place at 19h30 CET / 14h30 EDT
This event requires advance registration.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
This event has been organized in partnership with the Overseas Press Club of American (OPC).
