Parliament elections and the first round of the snap election called by President Emmanuel Macron in response have left no doubt that extreme political parties are in the ascendancy in France. The hard-right National Rally , which is in pole position after the first round, with 33% of the vote, promotes “national preference” for French citizens in housing, jobs and benefits, and for French companies in procurement.
Given such risks to France’s central role in theI have seen first-hand how crucial a country’s political and economic stability is for fostering innovation and growth. Hired by Steve Jobs in 2000, I moved to a vibrant London as Apple’s General Manager and Vice-President for Europe, and lived there for more than 13 years. Brexit and the election of Mr Macron shifted economic momentum from London to Paris.