The year ahead will be perilous for Emmanuel Macron’s government

By Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief, The Economist

France is heading for a bumpy 2025. Michel Barnier, the new conservative prime minister, runs a precarious minority coalition. If he can impose a steady hand, he may last the year. But he is up against aggrieved opposition on both the left and right. Divided, these two blocs can merely block his legislative plans. Together, they could bring down his government. By the summer, French voters could be returning to the ballot box again.