Emmanuel Macron chose to speak in Versailles — a choice of venue that underlined the regal nature of his presidency

Emmanuel Macron pledged sweeping reform of the French parliament today in a state-of-the-union address in the former royal palace of Versailles.

France’s 39-year-old president, who has been accused of acting like France’s 18th century Sun King, Louis XIV, promised to restore “the civil pact” by cutting the number of MPs and senators by a third and by introducing proportional representation into parliamentary elections.

Mr Macron also said he would limit the number of times that MPs could be re-elected so that “parliamentarians see in their terms of office a chance to make our country advance and not the key to a life-long career”.

President Macron addressed members of both houses of the French parliament, though about 20 politicians chose to boycott the event ERIC FEFERBERG/EPA

He said that if MPs and senators refused to approve his reforms, he would bypass parliament and submit them to a referendum.