London — The Economist named France its country of the year on Thursday, saying new President Emmanuel Macron had upset the odds to strike a victory for open societies and reform. The London-based weekly news magazine said the battle between open and closed visions of society was the most important in the world in 2017 and Macron had defeated the "drawbridge-raisers". "In 2017, France defied all expectations," The Economist said in an editorial in its December 23 to January 5 edition. The centrist Macron’s successful presidential election campaign, without the backing of a traditional party, followed by his start-up Republic on the Move (LREM) party winning the most seats in the National Assembly, was a "stunning upset", the magazine said. "Mr Macron campaigned for a France that is open to people, goods and ideas from abroad, and to social change at home." The Economist pointed out that Macron had passed sensible reforms, including loosening France’s rigid labour laws. "Before he tu...
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