MACRON UNVEILED

A political consultant surveys the career of Emmanuel Macron in this nonfiction work.

As an international political coach, former French diplomat, and author of multiple books on European high politics, Lefebvre is keenly aware of the political complexities of 21st-century Western Europe. Divided thematically in chapters that analyze Macron the “Shapeshifter,” “Reformer,” and “Crisis Manager,” to name a few, the book is part biography of the French president and part political commentary. Significant attention, for instance, is given to his romance with teacher-turned-wife Brigitte as well as its political ramifications, which included a smear campaign by Russian-funded media that was echoed by the French right alleging sexual abuse when Macron was 15 years old. Though described here as a “pragmatist,” Macron is also portrayed in these pages as unafraid to take “bold and dangerous” moves, as when he released a satirical video that went viral mocking President Donald Trump and entitled “Let’s Make the Planet Great Again.” Shortly after, Macron continued to goad Trump, confronting him at the G7 Summit with a “tense” handshake that he subsequently described to the French press as “a moment of truth” that signaled he “will not make small concessions.” Admittedly, this book was written before the 2022 French presidential runoffs and was published “in the middle” of Macron’s political career. While the outcome of the 2022 presidential election is still unknown, the work sees Macron as the titular “prototype for a new generation of world leaders.” As in any political narrative, Lefebvre writes, this story needs “bad guys,” and the “villains” here are right-wing populists, from Trump in America to Marine Le Pen in France and a host of “extreme-right” politicians on the rise in Hungary, Poland, and across the European Union. Written in an accessible prose for American audiences unfamiliar with the nuances of French domestic politics, this book effectively balances engagement with the general public with an erudite appraisal that will appeal to scholars and politicians familiar with European affairs. While a bit fawning at times, the work is nevertheless generally convincing in its political analysis.

An astute, engrossing overview of Macron’s presidency and potential.