In recent years Paris has undergone an astonishing revival. Global businessmen, financiers and techies casually drop into conversation that they are spending more time in the City of Lights. Wall Street banks have expanded their offices there; venture capitalists are signing more cheques for French startups. An annual investment summit, held in May at the Palace of Versailles, has become a fixture in chief executives’ calendars. This year, as they sipped champagne with President Emmanuel Macron, company bosses pledged investment projects worth €15bn ($16bn).
The renaissance is part of Mr Macron’s ambition to make France more…