Revolution Française: Emmanuel Macron and the Quest to Reinvent a Nation

by Sophie Pedder

The extraordinary story of how an outsider candidate – an unknown technocrat and economics minister on the fringes of French politics – made his way to the Élysée palace, with new material and expert analysis of recent events including the gilets jaunes protests.Two years after Emmanuel Macron came from nowhere to seize the French presidency, Sophie Pedder, The Economist's Paris bureau chief, tells the story of his remarkable rise and time in office so far. In this updated edition, published with a new foreword, Pedder revisits her analysis of Macron's troubles and triumphs in the light of the gilets jaunes protests. Eighteen months after he led his own audacious insurgency against France's established parties Macron would face another popular insurrection. This time, he was the target. In her vivid account, Pedder analyses the first real political crisis of Macron's tenure, how the movement emerged on roundabouts and in cyberspace, its impact on his plans to transform France, and the repercussions for representative democracy.On the eve of important European elections, and with nationalist and populist forces rising across the continent, she considers whether Macron can still hope to hold the centre ground, work with Germany to rebuild post-Brexit Europe, and defend the multilateral liberal order.Meticulously researched, enriched by interviews with the French president, and written in Pedder's gripping and immensely readable style, this is the essential, authoritative account for anyone wishing to understand Macron and the future of France in the world. Now updated with new material including interviews with Emmanuel Macron.

Genres: Politics, France, Biography, Nonfiction, History, International Relations

351 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2018

Reviews

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fascinating insight into Emmanuel Macron is written by the Paris Bureau Chief of the Economist.

Sophie Pedder comes to this book with a three advantages from her position. Firstly she has a detailed and inside knowledge of the subject, having first met him in 2012 when he first entered the public sphere as an economic advisor to Francois Hollande and has met him many times since, the boom concluding with a personal interview this year. Secondly she has a detailed knowledge of France, wider than just the Paris political scene and uses trips and interviews over a number of years to set the background which gave rise to Macron’s ascent to power, as well as most effectively in an excellent chapter on Fractured France, examining the “double fracture - that between its thriving regional cities and its neglected peripheries, where populism has taken hold, and the one between its metropolis and the banlieues, targeted by radical Islam”. Thirdly she clearly has, a little like Macron himself utilised as a key part of his rise, an excellent list of contacts and access across French politics and industry which she has used to give a broad context to the book. So three advantages, and each had been utilised to the benefit of the reader.

As would be expected from an Economist writer, the book has a very logical structure - ideas are introduced and enumerated before they are discussed and the conclusions summarised at the end (a little like I have attempted in the previous paragraph). I always find his extremely welcome in a non fiction book as it helps anchor the reader. Thankfully though, the book format does give the author the ability to diverge a little from the Economist’s rather rigid, depersonalised house style, and this is an engaging and personal book.

As would be expected from an Economist writer, the book is evenly argued, carefully examining both sides of each contention (*)- something of course that the subject of the book would approve of - En même temps! And in fact that very phrase is an excellent way of illustrating the author’s approach in this book - first discussing that phrase as a verbal tic that she had noted on hearing him speak, then examining how it played out in the Presidential campaign - as a line of attack for his opponents, as a source of internet memes but then later embraced by Macron as a strength and by his supporters as a rally chant, and then most impressively using her research to trace the phrase back to the influence of a University philosopher on Macron and as key his own political philosophy.

(*) of course as would be expected from The Economist with a natural bias towards liberal policies.

Overall an excellent read.

[Jackie Jacobsen-Côté · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flew through this book. It's as readable as the reviews claim it is (very; it's just unusual that in a book like this, you don't feel like stabbing yourself for all the detail). I really enjoyed the thorough reporting on Macron's past, his character, his aims for his presidency. I also learned an incredible amount about my (newest) adopted country, and much more about its political flashpoints than I knew beforehand.

My fave part? When Pedder explicitly explains how Macronism (as fuzzy as that still is at this point) is fundamentally different from the Third Way (Blair/Schroeder/Clinton). (As a political geek, this was troubling me.) It comes down to the emphasis on individual rights (Third Way) vs collective solidarity (Macron), but Pedder's explanation is thorough and clarifying.

[Jaguar Tiririca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very strong four star for this book that is a mix between a biography and a history/analyses of French politics.

"Macron is trying to encourage disruption as fast as society can accept it".


For those interested in getting a hold of what Macron and his party En Marche! is all about:
"If it had just been centrism, I don't think we would have won" Macron told Pedder in July 2017. "In France, the political families of the left and the right, structured in the post-war era, are exhausted because of their own divisions and inconsistencies, and no longer have answers to today's challanges"
To get France moving, politics needed to be disrupted along a differen fault line: between those broadly in favour of an open society, trade, markets and Europe on the on side; and Eurosceptic nationalists advocating protectionism and identity politics on the other. The underlying idea was that the big forces shaping the future - techonolofy, the freelance economy, the environment, Europe, inequality, globalization - no longer fell neatly into the old ideological divide between left and right.
"The biggest challanges facing this country and Europe - geopolitical threats and terrorism, the digital economy, the environment - are not those that have structured the lef and the right," Macron told Pedder in July 2016, shortly after launching En Marche!.
"The new political split is between those who are afraid of globalization, and those who see globalization as an opportunity, or at least a framework for policy that tries to offer progress for all".

In the book we get to know Macron as a very interesting person, who in his childhood prefered reading books with his grandma insted of hanging out with friends his own age. When he was 17 old and moving to Paris, he said to Brigitte Macron "no matter what happens, I will marry you" something they did 13 years later. Its also very interesting with his background from both banking and philosophy, " he doesn't come to politics through the structures of power, but through ideas"... "he has a philosophical foundation that is very stable, and very thought-through".

Now that we are closing up to the 2022 election, it will be interesting to see how the people respond to his years as president, it only took 13 months after En Marche! was launched until it had 310 deputies, or 54 per cent of the National Assembly (the lower house). And Macron has said this about his president period: " The biggest risk for the next five yeras (2017-2022) is not to get things done".

Highly recommend this book for those interested in French and European politics.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting overview of Macron and French politics. At first, you get the sense that the author has a bit of a crush and is overly impressed with Macron, but she goes deeper into his faults and missteps in France. A lot of the writing style feels very *French* with the comparisons to poems and French literary ideas.

[Michal Šik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a top read, to put it simply. A brilliant analysis of modern France and the rise of its current leader. Pedder offers a compelling account of Emmanuel Macron’s background, how he seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win big and transform France, and how he laid the groundwork to turn his ideas into reality during the early years of his presidenc. The book is fascinating (as the subject is more than intriguing figure himself), vivid, and just incredibly well written.

I was reading this book during the “dark days” for Macron, when following crushing defeat at the 2024 European Parliament elections, he lost his majority in the Assemblée nationale in July 2024, which is now hailed as the end of the “Macron era”. It seems that the very qualities that carried him to power has eventually also caused his downfall, as his energetic and optimistic approach was in the end simply too much for a country as conservative and “melancholic” as France. Macron aimed to overcome defeatism and transform France into a leading European force and an economic and technological great power once again. However, this kind of “revolution” didn’t resonate enough with the French public; instead, it was often perceived as an unmitigated attack on the nature of the country itself. This has resulted in widespread fatigue with le macronisme and the rise of both right- and left-wing extremes. What a sad ending for France and Europe this could be. Hopefully not.

[Paul Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does a centrist insurgent candidate for president win a smashing middle class-centered majority in a political environment of populist extremes?

Well, Emmanuel Macron did just that in France in 2017. What are the ingredients to the improbable victory? Sophie Pedder, the Paris Bureau chief of The Economist, lays it all out in the political biography of the year in her compelling “Revolution Française: Emmanuel Macron and the quest to reinvent a nation.” It is a narrative of political ascent and the dynamics behind an insurgent rise to power that is sure to be studied by political consultants across the world as a guidebook on both the dynamics of the man and the mechanics behind his centrist electoral landslide, a victory that left not only the executive branch in his hands but the parliament within his majority.

Pedder divides her narrative into two halves: the first is entitled “Conquest” and the second “Power.”

France has a two-round, winner-take-all presidential election system. In the first round, the French right wing under Marine Le Pen and the left wing under Jean-Luc Melanchon and other leftists remnants got a combined vote—right and left—in the high forties, about the same as in Italy. But in the a first-past-the-post second round, Macron won with 66 percent of the vote. The results could not be cleared: France consolidated behind a powerful executive while Italy wound up with the double-humped camel of a coalition populist government of the right and left.

Macron consolidated his power when his political party En Marche took 54 percent of the seats in the National Assembly and over 60 percent counting allied parties. Macron has more centralized political power at his direction than any other western political leader. Two years before this electoral coup, Macron and his political party were politically nonexistent. Some story!
Macron built his political victory on a two-step, social-media-based strategy that created a charismatic political star who first attracted attention and then support. The strategy was to run the new political organization like a “start up” with lots of market research and bottom-up feedback. Initial feedback came in the summer of 2016 when the nascent organization held a townhall in Paris. By asking for citizen input on how to fix politics, the townhall turned into an overflow success. Next was a nationwide door knocking campaign asking voters for opinions and attitudes; the Macron volunteers recorded answers in tablets and on smartphone and the results went instantaneously fed up to the Paris server. In the Macron political organization with its powerful but flat social media Paris always knew what everyone was doing while local committees were free to undertake their political work. Among the Paris cognoscenti, the Socialist Party grandees sneered at the door knocking. But the Macron organization learned by listening that the vast preponderance of French voters were utterly disgusted with politicians. National momentum built-up from this on-the-ground political work and its call for a true insurgent political revolution.

Macron yoked the desire for new outsider political leadership to a moderately progressive political agenda and an entirely new political party, very citizen based, and led the movement to a smashing centrist victory. Macron and his “metro-chic” advisers may have been very elite but they were highly differentiated away from the Paris-centric political establishment.

In classic Silicon Valley start-up lingo, Macron and his followers were the “new new.”

There is an extended book review by Paul A. Myers at:
https://myersbooks-history.com/

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first rate biography of Macron merged with an analysis of French politics more broadly. This book was fascinating to read as someone engaged with British politics but with little knowledge of France, as the French situation differs more than I had expected. There are naturally parallels to the UK context: the effects of globalisation on the national economy and inequality; the perpetual question of the EU; the vexed issue of immigration and xenophobia. However, the great strength of this book for an unfamiliar British reader like myself is how it communicates what is unique about French politics in an accessible way.

Underlying all of this is the pitch perfect writing style and pace. Political non-fiction, be it documentary or book or article, is strongest where it gives you a real sense of contingency even where we already know the outcome (the BBC documentary Thatcher: A Very British Revolution is a perfect example). So we obviously know that Macron is now President, but the journey to this point and beyond is told in an informative and gripping way. I think this is where the combination of biography and broader political analysis works wonders: it tells you a story, not just an abstract list of facts, and that's what keeps you turning the pages. Plus, as soon as you start reading, you'll quickly realise that Macron's story is a really interesting one and worth learning about.

Why four stars, not five? Well, as much as I loved this book, I felt that the second half on 'Power' once Macron had entered the Presidency could have focused more on his governing style. The opening chapter to this section is spot on here, talking about how Macron has made great use of symbolism whilst in office. But after that we have three chapters largely focusing on the political context of France in terms of its industry, geographical inequality and educational problems. Much of this is necessary to understand the context Macron is working in and it's by no means uninteresting. Nevertheless, for me, what's always intriguing about UK politics is how the dynamics of government are affected by the interaction of leaders, their ministers and officials. This was lacking in the book and so I'm giving it 4 stars.

Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone interested in politics (and if it's UK politics you normally engage with, then this will be a welcome change of scene).

[Stephen Morrissey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Populism, Brexit, MAGA: these slogans and these movements, despite their profound despair and fearmongering, also live and breathe in a sort of romantic unreality, a yearning for a way that was, and still may be. Sophie Pedder's book on Emmanual Macron and the current political situation in France makes it clear that Macron's mission is more than electoral and legislative feats, but rather a romantic, optimistic, and spirited embodiment of liberal internationalism.

Critics of the EU, and the establishment generally, have often encountered reasoned, technocratic counter-arguments from the likes of economists, politicians, and bureaucrats. Macron has made it clear that he wishes to offer France something else: a beautiful idea of a future with more jobs,a more unified EU, and a more free world.

For France, macron may be the answer, or perhaps the last gasp of reasoned politics before the further rise of a dangerous ethno-nationalism creeping in on the West. Much rests on how Macron governs, and how he will be able to unleash France's economic potential while honoring its social and political safeguards. Macron's mission - to make the French state work for everyone - is massive, and perhaps perfectly suited for a man imbued in a classical educational and iterary tradition, but who provides a third way in French politics.

[Martynas Smitas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Typically I am not a big fan of political biographies when the incumbent is just 1 year in the office. But the author, Chief of The Economist magazine Paris bureau, Sophie Redder, does a great job explaining the French President's origins and values.
First, it gives a reader a vivid presentation of French political landscape. Since the days of the Revolution, the nation is very resistant to political reforms. Many French presidents have tried and failed. Emanuel Macron has already passed remarkable labor reforms, but his ambitions are grander than of his predecessors'. But with recent "yellow vest" protests it will be interesting to watch Macron's response.
Second, this is a book about a transnational leader too. Emanuel Macron is keen to revolutionize not only France, but also the European Union. Early on he forms an alliance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Macron is a leader of hope and optimism for energized, vibrant with technology European Union.
Third, Macron is a "philosopher-king". His education, wunderkind upbringing and love for Hegel speak actions. This is one of my favorite narratives, because French president and his team organize themselves in startup fashion and share strong beliefs. Macron boys are not a dull technocrat and will stop at nothing.
Excellent reading.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recent years have seen many upsets and unexpected political moments, and Emmanuel Macron's election was one of these. But unlike the pessimistic, anti-globalist and nationalistic results in the U.S. and Britain and other countries, Macron ran on optimism, integration, and internationalism. But Macron--as Pedder argues--is just as much an insider as he is an outsider. This odd contradiction alone makes him curious. Pedder's analysis of his grass-roots movement beginning with his Grande Marche, which later transformed into En Marche!, to his election and policies as President is trying to come to grips with what Macron wants and how he wants to achieve it. It is also a very interesting analysis of Macron's character and relationships. A very interesting and informative portrait which--for me--clarified some of my own opinions about him. As I write this, the gilets jaunes protests are on their fifth week; it is interesting how Pedder's analysis has held, but maybe with a few changes considering how unpopular Macron is due to his reforms.

[Philippe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raises interesting analyses - including the twin cleavages in French society of (i) that between left-behind, rural France and the tech-savvy, burgeoning regional cities, and (ii) that between the metropolises and the banlieues, with the rising threat of radicalisation and Islamist extremism in thr latter. Also good on Macron's childhood (he seemed like an insufferable kid, and the story of his relationship with Brigitte is fascinating), and (especially) on the potency of mythmaking in modern politics, especially in a French presidential context.

Pedder does get a little too caught up in Macron's mythmaking, at times, though. It is hard to unpick the flaws of a premiership still in its honeymoon period - less than one year old - but one might have expected more from Pedder on that front, rather than merely highlighting the challenges Macron wished to tackle and the personal traits and political circumstances which made it possible for him to do so, and then (on almost all fronts) expressing a confidence that he would succeed.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is not written by a hack but by a someone who has had much access to Macron and the people around him. Sophia Peddler looks to have done her research. I just about devoured this book given my interest in the subject and the good writing style. Having been involved in some Presidential campaigns I was especially interested in hearing how Mr. (now President) Macron built up his support. It was an amazing operation that started long before most people heard about him.
I also found great interest in reading about his early life and the impact his grandmother had on him. It seems clear to me that President Macron is a very intelligent, complex individual that could have gone in a number of directions in terms of his contribution and career. Now as President of France, Emmanuel Macron surely has his work cut out for him. Governing in these times is not for the faint-hearted. I wish him well.

[Francois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie Pedder is known in France to be one of the greatest member of the foreign press corps following our somewhat strange political landscape. Her telling of Emmanuel Macron’s rise to power and first year into office, in spite of all odds, is an incredible account of a political “Révolution”. Far from the domestic account of Macron’s rise to power, often dominated by the characteristic rebuke the French like to exhibit against the very same people they willingly put in charge, Pedder’s account reflects her meticulous research and knowledge of the arcanes of power in the country.

In the same way it plays out for Jonathan Alter’s two books about Obama’s first and second presidencies, there is nothing short of high expectations if Pedder makes the wise decision of writing about the evolution of Macron and his presidency starting when she left at the beginning of 2018, to the elections in 2020.

[Shyamal Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Balanced and Insightful Portrait of France and its contemporary Politics with main focus of Macron
This book provides interesting insights into modern French society and its politics. It finally made me understand something I've always found confusing about France: you simply can't separate today's politics from their history. It's all tangled together, and this book shows you how with these amazing anecdotes that bring it all to life.

My favourite part was a chapter called "Fractured France." It brilliantly lays out the central paradox of the country -how it can be so modern and successful, yet feel like it's constantly on the verge of splintering. It puts Macron's entire challenge into perspective.

The best part, though? It’s not a puff piece. It’s a super balanced, honest look at what he’s trying to do. It gives you the good, the bad, and the ugly. Seriously, if you want a book that will make you feel smarter about what’s happening in the world, pick this one up. .

[Douglas Osler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more about the contemporary problems faced by French society,economy and political structure than about Macron himself. The issue is what he might be able to do about the problems he has analysed and addressed. Having said that,helpful information is given about the newcomer on the scene. Hopefully,at the end of the presidency the same objectivity displayed in this book will be used to assess what he achieved against the checklist given here. The fact that the author has met Macron helps too. Let's wait and see!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The new president of France is in most regards the polar opposite of the current American president, except for the role they share: disruptor of the political status quo. Young, energetic and technocratic, Macron brings optimism to the land of ennui. Sophie Pedder provides comprehensive access to this charismatic philosopher-king as well as an insightful guide to politics in post-Brexit Europe. Whether Macron's ambitious project to transform France and stabilize a restless Europe can succeed remains to be seen, but meanwhile, this book is an important work of journalism.

[Michael Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional analysis of the young President who has restored vision and vigour to French centrists. Explaining his approach to a broader Europe, the new economy and personal freedom this suggests that a visionary leader can overhaul the populist left and right. There are lessons for Britain but one is that Macron embodies French nationalism being more De Gaulle than Blair. Simple reminder that a inspiring vision based in reality can deliver more than empty politics of envy.

[Christelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read to better understand the man: his personality, his views and his abilities. A wonderful insight into French mentality and history - to understand better how to handle French society today.
Easy to read and very insightful. She clearly admire the man - even if she remains critical and doubtful that he can achieve it all.

[Lo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, well-documented, spot-on and well-written. Most importantly, the author made proof of possessing a comprehensive understanding of the French sociopolitical issues and kept her approach objective. But hey, Macron is a genuine all-rounder so you'll end up fancying him even more at the end of the day.

[Gabriel Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been better

This could have been a really interesting book. Unfortunately, it has aged (as any book of this kind by necessity will) and perhaps not very well. Moreover, the language is rather turgid. So while not uninteresting (and quite good on Macron’s background and early life), I’m not sure I would recommend it.

[Nils Arvid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Empfiehlt sich, um den Aufstieg Macrons bis 2017 zu verstehen. Der "machtgeile", "autokratische" Charakter Macrons wird aber kaum behandelt. Schwer vorstellbar, dass es vor seiner Präsidentschaft dafür keine Anzeichen gegeben haben soll und er der reine moderne, unorthodoxe und philosophische Denker und Banker war, als den ihn Pedder hier (wenn auch nicht immer so explizit) darstellt.

[Angstreichian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macron's rise to power is naturally fascinating. His absurd youth, stint at Rothschild's and literary awareness make him into a sort of renaissance man.

What really makes this shine is actually Pedder's own analysis or Macron's place in Europe and France as a change maker, she accurately predicts the place he took in the near future too.

[Swami Avi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not quite a biography of Macron nor a portrait of France, it describes the electoral meeting of a man and a people. Also does that The Economist thing of getting lots of access, but not gloating about it 👏

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

First rate political biography

Fascinating account of a stunning political trajectory and wonderful insight into an unconventional mind and ambitious political programme. I devoured the last two-thirds of the book in a weekend.

[Andrea Marin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read if you are trying to understand the complicated relations, paths and ways of French politics right now. It is written in a fluid and easy way that makes you think of a long and well-structured article of The Economist.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good read, concise but comprehensive. The author gives a fantastic overview of the life and career of Macron. The book also gives a lot of interesting context about the current issues in France, the last 10 years, the economy, Hollande, Le Pen, the EU and much more.

[Kariuki Njiru · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically two books in one. The first part handles the campaign of Macron and his rise to french presidency. The second part details the (economic) problems facing the french people that Macon has to deal with if he is to be successful.

A good introduction to Macron as a candidate.

[Issi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about the rise to power of Emmanuel Macron. En Marche! A fascinating insight.

[Jurga Kra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less a biography and more an overview of the economic and political situation in France at the time of Emmanuel Macron's election. Well written, insightful and informative.

[Olya · Rating 1 out of 5]

After 20-odd pages of flowery nothing interspersed with sycophantic drivel, the author completely lost me.