Macron mania is still sweeping across France

It’s in the little gestures one learns much about a man, and such is the case with Emmanuel Macron. Since his anointment as president of France last month, the 39-year-old has held talks with Angela Merkel, Recep Erdogan, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Those tête-à-têtes have made the headlines but it’s what happened in Paris at the end of last month that demonstrated the steeliness of the youngest French president since Napoleon. As is customary for the head of state, Macron attended the final of the French Cup at the national stadium in Paris. There once was a time when the president of France was introduced to the two teams on the pitch before kick-off, but Nicolas Sarkozy dispensed with that tradition when he came to power a decade ago. He didn’t much fancy shaking the hands of 22 footballers to a cacophony of jeers, and nor did his successor François Hollande.