The impact of the pandemic on the economy and internal political struggle in France

The article examines the modalities of the French authorities’ fight against the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the impact of the latter on the economic and political situation in the country. As in many other countries, President E. Macron and the government were forced to maneuver between the need to save lives, avoid an excessive burden on the health care system and prevent a catastrophic deterioration in the economy. The head of state, in addition, had to think about the prospects for his re-election in the presidential elections in 2022. Ultimately, a strategy was chosen that combined a some departure from the previous, tough «regime of isolation» with massive state support for the economy and vulnerable social groups. The author shows that although the pandemic crisis hit many economic sectors and caused a certain aggravation of social inequality, the drop in GDP and the growth of social tension turned out to be less than predicted at its initial stage. The pandemic also «muffled» the internal political struggle. The protest movements (especially the movement of the «yellow vests»), which shook the country in 2018–2019 and dramatically affected the personal rating of E. Macron, generally came to naught. The popularity of the head of state in 2020–2021 has slightly increased, which leaves him a chance in the upcoming struggle for re-election, but does not guarantee it.