Five years ago, it was a party. This time it felt more like a town hall reception after a marriage of reason. Two hours after French voters had handed their now 44-year-old president a second term, Emmanuel Macron's acceptance speech was already over and supporters were set to call it an early night beneath the Eiffel Tower. From abroad, many were asking: how can a 15-point margin turn into a sobering affair?

Compared to other industrialised countries, French people tend to live relatively long lives. Currently the oldest person alive in the world is a French woman: a Catholic nun living in the South of France. So what’s the secret? Do long lunch breaks and red wine have something to do with it? What’s the economic impact of an aging population and what can the country do to improve care for a growing number of dependent people?

Since 2006, France has commemorated the national day of the abolition of slavery on May 10. France is the only country to have a national day dedicated to remembering the horrors of slavery and the first and only country to have declared slavery a crime against humanity. However, the way this history is taught in schools and addressed in public spaces suggests that it remains something of a taboo. Historian and political scientist Françoise Vergès joined us for Perspective to tell us more.

A masterpiece of classical architecture, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, located outside Paris, was the forerunner of Versailles. Contained within its walls are three and a half centuries of history. That legacy is now the responsibility of the three brothers who inherited it on the death of their father: Ascanio, Alexandre and Jean-Charles. The château is regularly the scene of construction sites but some restoration must be done by hand, for instance to restore the central wrought iron gates to their former glory. FRANCE 24 takes you behind the scenes.

On 23rd May 1998, a silent protest of 40,000 people, mainly from Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana and Réunion, took place in Paris between Place de la République and Place de la Nation, marking the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery on 27th April 1848.

On May 15, parliamentary elections will take place nationwide in Lebanon. The Lebanese diaspora, estimated to be double the size of the domestic population, already cast their ballots last week. Around 60 percent of people across 58 countries turned out, slightly more than in 2018. We bring you a special edition of Middle East Matters on Lebanon's first elections since the mass protests of 2019.

Ahmed Nasser Al-Raisi, who became president of the international police agency last year, is being accused of complicity in the torture of two British men who were detained in the UAE.

Recent visitors to France will no doubt have noticed the return of foreign tourists. Two years of Covid-19 took a heavy toll on what is otherwise a booming business and an important part of the French economy. Now things appear to be looking up again for the tourist industry. For decades, France has been the number one tourism destination in the world, ahead of Spain and the US. So what explains this lasting success? We take a closer look in this edition of French Connections.

The "Maghreb-Orient des livres" book festival takes place in Paris this weekend, focusing on literature from north Africa and the Middle East. One of those taking part is Jérémie Dres, the author of the graphic novel "The day I met bin Laden". It features the story of two young French men who travelled from France to Afghanistan in the spring of 2001, just months before the 9/11 terror attacks. The pair then found themselves trapped in Afghanistan and were later sent to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. The author joined us for Perspective to tell us more.

She is the first woman to hold the position in over 30 years. French President Emmanuel Macron and Borne were expected to appoint the full government within days.

After becoming the first French president in two decades to win re-election, Emmanuel Macron now has to convince enough voters to once again give him a mandate in next month's legislative elections. A centrist who this time has to face an unusually united left, Macron has to persuade the electorate to stick with free-market reform, while shedding his "too clever for his own good" image.

After becoming the first French president in two decades to win re-election, Emmanuel Macron now has to convince enough voters to once again give him a mandate in next month's legislative elections. A centrist who this time has to face an unusually united left, Macron has to persuade the electorate to stick with free-market reform, while shedding his "too clever for his own good" image.