The Monocle Minute

Emmanuel Macron is a cold, calculating figure, as much a Republican monarch as a president. He sees the world and political arena through the lens of the balance of powers. The European elections on 9 June confirmed what he has acknowledged for years: it is inevitable that the Rassemblement National (RN) will take power in France – and it’s better for it to happen now than at the next presidential election in 2027.

To try to avoid this worst-case scenario, Macron has chosen to dissolve the National Assembly and call a snap election. In my view, he is hoping that this gamble on a far-right victory will test RN’s ability to govern, preventing it from winning the presidency when his second and final term ends in 2027. But this too is risky. There is no guarantee that RN will win an absolute majority – and the party doesn’t want power without it. So what happens then? Political paralysis and an ungovernable country – on the eve of the Paris Olympics.

France is a volcano ready to erupt. Under Macron’s presidency there have been the suburban riots and the gilets jaunes protests. Voters are turning to RN because of deep discontentment and fears about uncontrolled immigration, which many worry will lead to a rise in crime and a loss of national identity. There is also general disaffection with Macron’s brand of politics. It is uncertain whether he and his advisors have considered all the consequences of their gamble or whether they understand their own role in leading French citizens to this perilous moment.

As a reporter I have covered numerous civil wars, including those in the Central African Republic and Libya, and revolution in Egypt, and witnessed US democracy on the brink. The risk of unrest exists in France too: Macron recently warned that a win for the far-right or far-left could lead to civil war. Hearing this from the president is deeply unsettling because it suggests that the worst-case scenario is not an impossibility. By betting on an RN victory, Macron is ignoring the reasons why voters are fleeing to the extremes.

Guillaume Auda is a French author, journalist and foreign correspondent. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

As you step out at Gare du Nord, it feels as though the whole world has descended on Paris. Fashion retailers and editors have been here for more than 10 days to attend Paris Fashion Week Men’s and Haute Couture Week. High-net-worth clients are here to place custom orders. Athletes are gearing up for the Olympics. And, of course, there’s the regular wave of summer tourists.

But there is also a hard-to-ignore layer of tension as the country prepares for a snap election and grapples with the rise of the far-right. Naturally, during such times of political and economic challenges, the role of luxury comes into question. That was the case throughout the coronavirus pandemic and it has only heightened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the outbreak of war in the Middle East; now enter the elections. But for the fashion industry, the attitude is mostly that the show must go on.

At times it is uncomfortable to see the degree of excess in these spectacles, the celebrity fanfare in the front rows. But Paris’s most storied luxury houses – the majority of which have successfully navigated previous episodes of war and economic turbulence – take a longer-term view. They are using these events to showcase the rare skills of the city’s artisans, which are a source of pride for all Parisians.

That’s why the shows in Paris have been particularly memorable this season, from Louis Vuitton Men’s sending a message of unity from the Unesco building and Dries Van Noten taking over a former boiler factory for his last showcase before retirement to the homage to the Olympics and the work of late artist Faith Ringgold in Christian Dior’s couture show. Despite the external difficulties, French fashion is proving to be a vital source of soft power, highlighting the country’s heritage and offering moments of joy and relief at a time when it is sorely needed.

Natalie Theodosi is Monocle’s fashion director.

Air Greenland launched flights to Iqaluit at the brand new Nuuk Airport terminal on Wednesday, connecting Greenland with Canada directly for the first time since 2014. There was a water cannon salute as the plane took to the skies. Hundreds of people gathered to see the landing, a community barbecue was held outside the airport and speeches were made by the premier of Nunavut and others, at times emotional, welcomed their Greenlandic “family” back. This route was briefly tried between 2012 and 2014 but seats proved difficult to fill.

This time, most think it will be different. There’s an increased appetite to establish better connections between the Inuit communities on either side, which share linguistic, cultural and family ties. Then there’s a growing interest in Arctic tourism and mineral and fisheries industries. The opening of a longer runway in Nuuk later this year, as well as an agreement with airline Canadian North, promises to facilitate new connections with the world’s largest island. And for Greenland, it offers a shift in focus beyond Copenhagen to new horizons.

The beginning of the new season has been celebrated across the northern hemisphere over the past seven days and the festival of Sant Joan de Ciutadella on the Balearic Islands is one of the highlights. It includes as its centrepiece the Caragol des Born, involving some 100 horsemen working their way through throngs of crowds to arrive at the Plaça des Born in Menorca. Bring on the summer.

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