https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed With almost a year of his presidency left to run, Emmanuel Macron has effectively lost control of his government and his succession - John Lichfield looks at where it all went wrong for the young man once touted as the future for France. https://www.thelocal.com/20260527/opinion-emmanuel-macron-where-did-it-all-go-wrong Wed, 27 May 2026 10:10:48 +0200 opinion-emmanuel-macron-where-did-it-all-go-wrong The last step before a citizenship application can be approved is the personal appearance at a Migration Agency office. The Local's Becky Waterton had her appointment last week – here's what happened. https://www.thelocal.com/20260518/the-final-hurdle-what-happened-at-my-personal-appearance-for-swedish-citizenship Mon, 18 May 2026 13:23:13 +0200 the-final-hurdle-what-happened-at-my-personal-appearance-for-swedish-citizenship The story of the French film producers, the Breton billionaire and the blacklist is complicated but - argues John Lichfield - should be taken seriously as a genuine danger to France's culture. https://www.thelocal.com/20260520/opinion-bollores-influence-on-french-cinema-tv-and-media-is-dangerous Wed, 20 May 2026 09:50:24 +0200 opinion-bollores-influence-on-french-cinema-tv-and-media-is-dangerous In the final part of his mini series on the forthcoming French presidential elections, John Lichfield looks at the chances of the Far Right. Despite their runaway lead in polling for Round One, they could yet lose in the second round of the election in 2027. https://www.thelocal.com/20260513/opinion-the-french-far-right-have-a-runaway-poll-lead-but-may-yet-lose-the-2027-election Wed, 13 May 2026 10:06:28 +0200 opinion-the-french-far-right-have-a-runaway-poll-lead-but-may-yet-lose-the-2027-election In the latest in his series of profiles on candidates for the 2027 French presidential election, John Lichfield looks at whether the Centre can unite and, united, can beat the far right. https://www.thelocal.com/20260506/opinion-remains-of-macrons-centrists-still-have-the-best-chance-of-beating-the-far-right Wed, 06 May 2026 09:43:56 +0200 opinion-remains-of-macrons-centrists-still-have-the-best-chance-of-beating-the-far-right With a majority of just one vote, parliament rejected adding transitional rules to Sweden's June 6th citizenship reforms. But there's still reason to be hopeful, writes The Local's Richard Orange. https://www.thelocal.com/20260429/opinion-the-campaign-for-transitional-citizenship-rules-failed-but-it-wasnt-in-vain Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:52:15 +0200 opinion-the-campaign-for-transitional-citizenship-rules-failed-but-it-wasnt-in-vain French history is littered with spectacular comebacks, from the Emperor Napoleon to Charles de Gaulle to Edith Piaf, writes John Lichfield. Could François Hollande, the cuddliest of politicians but tougher than he seems, return to the Elysée Palace nine years after his presidency fizzled into insignificance? https://www.thelocal.com/20260429/opinion-a-second-french-presidency-for-francois-hollande-really Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:15:22 +0200 opinion-a-second-french-presidency-for-francois-hollande-really France's Les Républicains party - the conservative successors to Charles De Gaulle, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy - has picked its candidate for the 2027 presidential election. The choice speaks volumes, writes John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.com/20260422/opinion-frances-traditional-conservatives-will-not-stop-the-far-right-in-2027 Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:56:23 +0200 opinion-frances-traditional-conservatives-will-not-stop-the-far-right-in-2027 As an energy crisis is met with a temporary tax break and an economic downturn is met with an employee bonus scheme. Columnist Brian Melican asks, 'Has the German government gone mad?' https://www.thelocal.com/20260423/opinion-germanys-fuel-crisis-response-shows-the-government-has-lost-its-mind Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:10:51 +0200 opinion-germanys-fuel-crisis-response-shows-the-government-has-lost-its-mind The Hungarian people have decisively rejected authoritarian leader Viktor Orban and France's Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella seem worried - so is this the beginning of an anti-populist wave in Europe? If only politics was so simple, writes John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.com/20260415/opinion-orbans-demise-is-a-blow-for-french-far-right-but-not-a-fatal-one Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:12:19 +0200 opinion-orbans-demise-is-a-blow-for-french-far-right-but-not-a-fatal-one France is being redrawn before our eyes - writes John Lichfield - the old political maps of Left-Right-Centre no longer make sense. Politicians are trying to re-invent them. https://www.thelocal.com/20260408/opinion-le-pen-pushes-to-cast-aside-far-right-label-as-france-redraws-political-map Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:40:11 +0200 opinion-le-pen-pushes-to-cast-aside-far-right-label-as-france-redraws-political-map The Local's Nordic Editor Richard Orange wonders in this opinion piece why he still feels so outraged by the peculiar way Easter egg hunts happen in Sweden. https://www.thelocal.com/20260331/all-must-have-prizes-what-easter-egg-socialism-says-about-sweden Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:52:00 +0200 all-must-have-prizes-what-easter-egg-socialism-says-about-sweden As attention in France shifts to the 2027 presidential elections, John Lichfield looks at how the candidates will be be narrowed down and whether France is indeed 'sleepwalking into a Far-Right presidency'. https://www.thelocal.com/20260401/opinion-primaries-cannot-save-france-from-a-trumpian-future Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:18:39 +0200 opinion-primaries-cannot-save-france-from-a-trumpian-future The Local France's editor Emma Pearson explains why foreigners in France face an anxious year ahead as the presidential election looms large and the threat from the xenophobic far right grows ever stronger. https://www.thelocal.com/20260325/opinion-for-foreigners-in-france-each-election-brings-a-creeping-sense-of-dread Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:06:38 +0100 opinion-for-foreigners-in-france-each-election-brings-a-creeping-sense-of-dread This was a Mr Potato Head election - writes John Lichfield - pick different features of the municipal results on Sunday and you can give France the face of your choosing. https://www.thelocal.com/20260324/opinion-local-elections-show-french-far-right-is-beatable-but-not-by-this-fractured-and-squabbling-opposition Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:52:20 +0100 opinion-local-elections-show-french-far-right-is-beatable-but-not-by-this-fractured-and-squabbling-opposition All votes have been counted in the Danish election and the final result has left the red bloc in a slim lead, but with many questions yet to be answered before a new government can take office. Here are five key takeaways from Tuesday's result. https://www.thelocal.com/20260325/analysis-five-key-takeaways-from-the-2026-danish-election-result Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:49:29 +0100 analysis-five-key-takeaways-from-the-2026-danish-election-result We are in dire straits, writes John Lichfield. Donald Trump wants allies like France, and even rivals like China, to pull his chestnuts out of the boiling oil in the Straits of Hormuz. https://www.thelocal.com/20260318/opinion-macron-is-having-a-good-war-but-there-is-no-good-end-to-the-iran-disaster Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:40:29 +0100 opinion-macron-is-having-a-good-war-but-there-is-no-good-end-to-the-iran-disaster Embracing the Sweden Democrats was supposed to give the Liberals access to much needed support from their allies. The risk is that it pushes their poll ratings even further into the basement, argues The Local's James Savage. https://www.thelocal.com/20260318/politics-in-sweden-hugging-akesson-close-could-be-the-kiss-of-death-for-liberals Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:18:08 +0100 politics-in-sweden-hugging-akesson-close-could-be-the-kiss-of-death-for-liberals As France prepares for key local elections, John Lichfield looks at what the results can tell us about the strength of the 'republican front', the pact that voters can make to keep out the far right. https://www.thelocal.com/20260311/opinion-local-elections-will-show-if-france-still-has-the-will-to-resist-the-far-right Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:52:31 +0100 opinion-local-elections-will-show-if-france-still-has-the-will-to-resist-the-far-right As the US launches strikes against Iran, Emmanuel Macron's reaction has been very different to his predecessor Jacques Chirac, who refused to join the British and American invasion of Iraq in 2003 - John Lichfield examines why. https://www.thelocal.com/20260304/opinion-why-macron-will-not-do-a-chirac-over-this-gulf-war Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:23:15 +0100 opinion-why-macron-will-not-do-a-chirac-over-this-gulf-war