A Medieval Title in a Modern Presidency
When Emmanuel Macron took office in 2017, he did not just become President of France. By virtue of that office, he also acquired a second, more obscure crown: Co‑Prince of Andorra.
This tiny principality in the Pyrenees, wedged between France and Spain, has a unique arrangement. Its heads of state are the Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia and the President of France—a medieval compromise that survived into the 21st century.
Swearing an Oath from Afar
Soon after his election, Macron formally accepted his Andorran role. On 15 June 2017, through his chief of staff Patrick Strzoda, he swore to uphold the Constitution of Andorra in a ceremony at the Casa de la Vall, the historic seat of its parliament.
Strzoda serves as his personal representative in Andorra, a reminder that while the title is ancient, the practicalities are carefully managed.
A State Visit to the Mountain Realm
In September 2019, Macron made a state visit to Andorra, swapping the Élysée’s grand courtyards for alpine valleys. He spoke in the General Council building alongside his Episcopal Co‑Prince Joan Enric Vives, Prime Minister Xavier Espot, and the speaker of the Andorran parliament.
The occasion underlined how Andorra’s unusual system bridges religious and republican authority: a Catholic bishop on one side, a secular French president on the other.
Pandemic Tensions and Financial Limits
The COVID‑19 crisis tested this symbolic bond. As Andorra struggled with the economic fallout, its government appealed to Macron for financial aid from the Bank of France.
Macron refused, stating that the central bank could not extend loans to another country without approval from the European Central Bank. It was a telling moment: the ancient title of co‑prince could not override the hard rules of the Eurozone.
Continuity in a Changing Microstate
In 2025, a new bishop, Josep‑Lluís Serrano Pentinat, replaced Vives as Macron’s fellow co‑prince. Meanwhile, in Paris, Macron appointed a new chief of staff, Patrice Faure, in early 2024, and later designated him as his representative to Andorra, ensuring continuity in managing the relationship.
Why It Matters
On paper, the co‑princely role is largely ceremonial. But it reveals a deeper truth about France’s presidency: it is entangled in layers of history reaching back long before the Fifth Republic.
For Macron, the Andorran throne is a reminder that even the most modern leaders stand on medieval foundations. In an age of global finance, AI, and climate summits, part of his job is still to play prince to a mountain microstate that chose, centuries ago, to share its sovereignty between church and republic.