It was a French election the world watched with anxiety in 2017. There was a wave of populism, fierce nationalism and anti-immigration angst sweeping across Europe and America – from Britain’s unanimous vote to exit the European Union to the divisive election of Donald Trump in the US. Many feared that France too would concede to the aggressive right-wing phenomenon by electing Marine Le Pen, the leader of a far-right party that had for long been on ...
