Macron pushes to Le Pen-proof France before 2027 election

(Clea Caulcutt, Giorgio Leali and Laura Kayali – Politico) Emmanuel Macron is racing to put guard rails around a potential far-right president of France. The French leader is accelerating key personnel appointments and placing loyalists in top positions to cement his influence and prevent the National Rally from executing its populist agenda, according to four French officials and two former officials. Polls show the far-right party is the front-runner for next year’s presidential election, and Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, its potential candidates, have signaled they would try to undo Macron’s economic reforms and pull back on French commitments to the EU and NATO. – Macron pushes to Le Pen-proof France before 2027 election – POLITICO