Revolution

The French presidential election of 2017 was watched anxiously around the world. Populism, fierce nationalism and fear of immigration were sweeping Europe and America, from Britain's vote to leave the European Union to the election of Donald Trump. Many expected France to follow, with Marine Le Pen, leader of a far-right party long kept on the margins, as the beneficiary. Instead, Emmanuel Macron won. He was an investment banker turned politician who had never held elected office, and his message of openness, optimism, reform and hope found an audience well beyond France, India included. His victory was widely welcomed with relief. In Revolution, the youngest president in French history tells the story of his own background and the influences that shaped him. He also sets out his vision for France and its future in a world he describes as going through a great transformation. The book is both a personal testimony and a statement of the values behind a new kind of politics.