Thousands of demonstrators in Paris against the immigration law

Four days before a long-awaited decision by the Constitutional Council, a large coalition of opponents of the immigration law demonstrate in Paris with the presence of numerous left-wing politicians, trade-union activists and members of associations.

French President Emmanuel Macron borrowed lines from the far right for a press conference this week designed to relaunch his sputtering second term.

Speaking to journalists Tuesday in his first major Elysee Palace set piece in years, Macron said his "clear line was that France should remain France".

"France should remain the nation of common sense, resistance and the enlightenment," he added.

It was the latest shift in emphasis from a president struggling in his final term to ensure his centrist legacy outlasts him in the face of a surging far right.

ME