William Drozdiak
Award-winning journalist and author
For more than four decades, William Drozdiak has been regarded as one of the most knowledgeable American observers of European affairs. During his tenure as foreign editor of the Washington Post, the newspaper won Pulitzer Prizes for its international reporting on the Israeli—Palestinian conflict and the collapse of the Soviet communist empire.
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He also served as the Post’s chief European correspondent, based at various times in Bonn, Berlin, Paris and Brussels, and covered the Middle East for Time magazine. He later became the founding executive director of the German Marshall Fund’s Transatlantic Center in Brussels and served for ten years as president of the American Council on Germany.
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Before becoming a journalist, he played professional basketball in the United States and Europe for seven years. His highly acclaimed book, “Fractured Continent: Europe’s Crises and the Fate of the West,” was selected by the Financial Times as one of the best political books of 2017. He is currently based in Washington D.C. as senior advisor for Europe with the international consulting firm McLarty Associates and as nonresident senior fellow with the Center for the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution.
William Drozdiak's Latest Book
The Last President of Europe
Emmanuel Macron's Race to Revive France and Save the World
Now available
A veteran foreign correspondent with unique access to Emmanuel Macron delivers the inside story of his turbulent presidency, designed to fight the rise of populist nationalism and hold the European project together, in the face of daunting opposition in France and abroad.
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When Emmanuel Macron won the presidency of France he was a political novice with a brand new party who had swept all traditional political forces aside. He quickly emerged as the strongest voice on behalf of the EU, especially once Angela Merkel announced her forthcoming retirement as Chancellor of Germany, and became a domestic radical, facing down the unions, imposing reforms and bracing France to become globally competitive.
In The Last President of Europe, William Drozdiak delivers the inside story of the daunting challenges Macron has faced as the last staunch defender of Europe — including Trump’s attacks on NATO and the international order, Merkel’s weakness, Italy’s government of nihilists and satirists, the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) protesters, the resurgence of anti-Semitism, and the endless turmoil of Brexit. His success or failure will determine the fate of a continent and the world at large, and Drozdiak brings the drama of these consequential times vividly and compellingly to life.
Early Reviews
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“This fascinating, well-researched book sheds new light on the vicissitudes of Emmanuel Macron’s consequential political career. Read, learn, and enjoy.” George P. Shultz, former United States Secretary of State
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“Bill Drozdiak offers a sharp analysis of the tumultuous events that marked Emmanuel Macron’s first years in the French presidency in this eminently readable and admirably concise volume. His journalist’s keen eye, deep knowledge of contemporary European affairs, and first-person interviews with President Macron and his team are used to particularly good effect in the chapters on Macron’s efforts to reach out to the French public after a series of domestic policy missteps. The book highlights the daunting challenges that Macron faces in implementing his grand vision for France at home and abroad.” -Dr. Fiona Hill, former senior director for Europe and Russia at the White House National Security Council
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“Bill Drozdiak’s The Last President of Europe is a thoughtful interpretation of the dilemmas facing France and Europe. It is also an insightful portrait of a leader who may define these issues’ resolution.” - Henry A. Kissinger, former United States Secretary of State
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“There are not many readable, well-informed books on Europe available to Americans these days. William Drozdiak’s book on French president Emmanuel Macron is both. What’s unique is Drozdiak’s access to Macron, who wants very much to connect with American public opinion.” -Ronald Tiersky, Professor of Political Science Emeritus, Amherst College
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“An eye-opening account of world politics and how the globe’s most consequential leaders deal with each other in private. Drozdiak explains in clear and compelling prose how and why Macron’s last-ditch efforts are vital for citizens in the US and elsewhere in the world.” -Jim Hoagland, Washington Post columnist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner
“It is fascinating to read a portrait of this young and intelligent French president as seen through American eyes. Drozdiak demonstrates a sense of objectivity and a well-documented and informed knowledge of Macron’s European passion. This is a very serious and complete work yet written in clear and readable prose. The virtue and quality of Drozdiak’s book lies in his shrewd analysis and judgement of Macron’s presidency and his place among today’s world leaders.” -Philippe Labro, Best-selling French author, journalist, and film director
“The Last President of Europe is the extraordinary story of the ambition of a young, audacious, inexperienced politician to transform not only his country, France, but also Europe, for the challenges of the 21st century and the new great power competition. In this riveting, well-informed book, William Drozdiak takes us to the heart of Emmanuel Macron's fight, through the hopes and failures, the bold vision and the disastrous mistakes. The violence of the Yellow Vests' revolt, Angela Merkel's quiet passivity, Donald Trump's rage and Vladimir Putin's disdain set the stage for an enlightening look into one of the most original political experiences of today's Europe.” -Sylvie Kauffmann, Columnist and Editorial Director, Le Monde
"An intimate portrait of the French president at a moment of European and global crisis, William Drozdiak's The Last President of Europe presents Emmanuel's Macron's visionary plan for a revived, cohesive and more independent Europe, capable of embodying western democratic values and liberty as China asserts itself and the United States retreats. Macron's plan is bold, and its viability uncertain, but its importance for humanity in the 21st century is unquestionable, as Drozdiak makes clear in this important book." -Roger Cohen, New York Times global affairs columnist