French leader takes a brief working break in Mediterranean stronghold

French President Emmanuel Macron is spending a few days in the Brégançon fortress on the Mediterranean coast, one of the official presidential residences. He will use the time away from the French capital to catch up on crucial issues, and prepare for the reopening of parliament.

Emmanuel Macron at his desk in the Fort de Brégançon. Daniel Cole/Pool via REUTERS

A presidential spokesman rejected any talk of holidays.

"Brégançon is a presidential workplace, a crisis control centre, exactly like the Elysée Palace," the spokesman explained, comparing the refurbished coastal fortress in the Var to the official residence in Paris.

Emmanuel Macron has passed several New Year's breaks in Brégançon.

No one is saying where the French leader spent Christmas, nor has the date of his arrival in the south of France been released.

The only certainty is that the Head of State will return to Paris on or before Saturday, for his traditional televised national address.

Emmanuel Macron is expected to use that occasion to sketch the political landscape for the opening months of 2023. 

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A menu of hot potatoes

The loudly contested adjustment of the French retirement age will be presented to parliament on 10 January.

There is the on-going danger of electricity cuts as France struggles to generate sufficient power in the absence of natural gas from Russia, blocked by the war in Uk;raine.

Inflation continues to darken the industrial horizon, and make the end of the month difficult for many French households.

The president is hoping to reform the jobs market, improve the national health and education sectors, and make the end of life less complicated for those suffering from incurable illnesses.

Each of these crucial issues is likely to divide the French public, and the National Assembly, in dramatc fashion.