When Emmanuel Macron won the French presidential election with a risky strategy
and against all odds in May 2017, spring seemed to break out in Paris.
New faces, new dynamics, and the promise to do many things differently and thus
better, were in the air and inspired large swathes of the French public.
But the protests of the "yellow vests" have in their intensity and perseverance now
shaken the last optimist. And they’ve reminded us of how deep the trenches
between the political interests in France are – as well as how much energy and
effort it takes to navigate them