Glossary

The institutions, reforms, and phrases that define Macron's France.

Élysée

The Élysée Palace in Paris, official residence of the President of the Republic since 1848.

Assemblée nationale

The lower house of the French Parliament (577 deputies), where governments stand or fall.

Article 49.3

The constitutional provision letting a government pass a bill without a vote, at the cost of exposing itself to a no-confidence motion. Used for the 2023 pension reform.

Cohabitation

When the president and the prime minister come from opposing camps — a recurring French scenario Macron has avoided but the hung 2024 parliament keeps in view.

Dissolution

The president’s power to dissolve the National Assembly and call snap elections. Macron used it on 9 June 2024.

En Marche / Renaissance

The movement Macron founded in April 2016 (renamed Renaissance in 2022), the vehicle of his 2017 victory.

“En même temps”

(“At the same time”) Macron’s signature rhetorical device — holding two ideas at once, e.g. firmness and dialogue — embraced by supporters and mocked by critics.

Start-up nation

Macron’s 2017 pledge to make France a “start-up nation,” the banner of his tech-friendly economic policy.

Gilets jaunes

(“Yellow vests”) The grassroots protest movement that erupted in November 2018 over fuel taxes and grew into a broad revolt against the presidency.

Réforme des retraites

The pension reform — most explosively the 2023 law raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Grand débat national

The “great national debate” Macron launched in early 2019 to answer the yellow-vest crisis: months of town-hall meetings across France.

Convention citoyenne

The Citizens’ Convention for Climate (2019–2020): 150 randomly selected citizens tasked with proposing emissions cuts.

OTAN / NATO

The Atlantic alliance Macron declared in “brain death” in his 2019 Economist interview — then rallied after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Souveraineté européenne

(“European sovereignty”) The core of Macron’s EU doctrine since his 2017 Sorbonne speech: Europe must be able to act on its own in defense, tech, and energy.

Matignon

The Hôtel Matignon, the prime minister’s official residence — shorthand for the government itself.

Quinquennat

The five-year presidential term, in place since 2002; Macron is serving his second.

Motion de censure

A no-confidence motion. The opposition filed several over the pension reform; the Barnier government fell to one in December 2024.

Nouveau Front populaire (NFP)

The left-wing alliance that emerged first from the 2024 snap elections with 180 seats (Interior Ministry classification).

Ensemble

Macron’s centrist coalition, which won 159 seats in the 2024 snap elections (Interior Ministry classification).

Rassemblement national (RN)

Marine Le Pen’s far-right party; RN-supported candidates took 142 seats in the 2024 snap elections (Interior Ministry classification).

Les Républicains (LR)

The mainstream center-right party, with 39 seats in the 2024 snap elections (Interior Ministry classification).

La France insoumise

Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s radical-left party, the largest component of the NFP alliance.

Source notes

Seat figures for the 2024 elections use the French Interior Ministry’s candidate classification, which differs slightly from media groupings; see 2024 Snap Elections. Institutional definitions follow standard references.