French President Emmanuel Macron hoped the Paris Olympics would be a shining part of his legacy. But a failed bet on a snap legislative election – in which his coalition lost seats – has cast a long shadow over his hoped-for golden moment on the international stage. "Macron expected to welcome the Games like an emperor," said one French historian. "But now he's a lame duck."
As French President Emmanuel Macron prepares to welcome more than 100 heads of state and tens of thousands of spectators for Friday's unprecedented opening ceremony along the Seine, he finds himself in a fragile political position –unpopular at home and presiding over a caretaker government as it hosts the world's largest sporting event amid heightened security fears.
