The President

Aged 73 and in frail health, former prime minister Emile Beaufort sits by the fire in his country house near Evreux, dictating his memoirs to his secretary. The scene is intimate and reflective, framing the narrative as a memory trip through a long career. He opens with the sense that the past still shapes the present.

During a secret meeting with the central bank governor and the minister of finance, Beaufort helps plan a devaluation of the currency. They agree to announce the move on a Monday to maximize confusion in the markets. Beaufort learns that only one other person knows the whole scheme, setting up a dangerous inside story.

Beaufort discovers that Philippe Chalamont, head of his private office, is the only other person who understands the plan. To secure leverage, he has Chalamont write out and sign a confession detailing the deceit. The document is then kept, hidden away for years as a looming threat.

Beaufort consciously stores the signed confession in a hiding place, treating it as insurance against Chalamont's ambition. The confession becomes a taboo weapon that could ruin reputations if revealed. The arrangement seeds an ongoing power struggle beneath the surface.

In his last term as prime minister, Beaufort is a passionate advocate of European unity, seeing it as a healing force for a continent scarred by war. His most persuasive opponent turns out to be Chalamont, who argues that European integration would hurt French business. The ideological clash foreshadows the bitter chess to come.

Disgusted by Chalamont's petty, sectional approach, Beaufort resigns from politics and withdraws from public life. The EU issue becomes a lost opportunity and Beaufort's dream of a united Europe seems to fade. The confession remains a silent anchor to the past.

Chalamont is now asked to form a government, signaling his return to power in the present day. Beaufort watches from the wings, aware of the battleground that once defined their rivalry. The moment reignites old tensions as the country faces a fresh political contest.

Beaufort summons Chalamont to Evreux for a late-evening audience that could determine the government's direction. The invitation brings the old conflict into a new setting, with high stakes hanging in the air. The room is charged with history as the two men prepare to meet.

Before his guest arrives, Beaufort retrieves the confession from its hiding place and slips it into his pocket. He paces by the fire, half-drowsy, as the weight of the secret presses on him. The act marks a deliberate choice to use the past as leverage.

Beaufort wakes to discover his secretary rummaging through the room; she admits she was bribed to locate the incriminating document. The betrayal adds a new layer of danger to the encounter. He remains wary, unsure of who else might be involved.

Chalamont arrives and opens with a spiel about relying on Beaufort's advice and how he has always admired him. He claims to share Beaufort's belief in European unity and to have changed his mind for the sake of national interests. The charm does not quiet Beaufort's suspicion.

Beaufort refuses to be swayed, signaling that he will not let himself be outmaneuvered. He threatens to reveal the currency incident to the media unless Chalamont demonstrates real integrity. The tension tightens as the truth hangs in the balance.

By the next morning the political landscape has shifted, and the news reports that Chalamont has declined to form a new government. Beaufort's tactic succeeds in blocking his rival's bid for power, at least for now. The past and present collide in a final, quiet fallout.