Former French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday asked his successor Emmanuel Macron how he was doing in the face of crises ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to Islamist attacks. In 2016 Hollande, faced with very low ratings, decided not to seek re-election. In his book Lessons of Power, recording his five years in office, Hollande famously warned his pomp-loving successor:" don't forget French royals lost their heads at the guillotine".