Quick, name this country: criticised this week by the UN Human Rights chief for using excessive force against protesters, its government has proposed a string of bills to repress demonstrations, dissolve dissidents’ networks, promote an “official truth” and suppress content on social media. Now its president is openly musing about appointing civil servants to oversee the media and control the news.

Welcome to France, home of Emmanuel Macron, the progressives’ darling. The protesters, of course, are the naughty gilets jaunes, who could be individually banned from attending public demonstrations and put on a government watchlist under the “anti-riot” bill that passed the French National Assembly last month.

The dissidents, meanwhile, are on the far-right. Mr Macron has pledged to dissolve their (so far lawful) associations. Freedom of speech restrictions are being discussed for vile “anti-Zionists” to address a loophole in existing legislation that already outlaws anti-Semitism. Promotion of official truth is the inevitable flipside of the well-intentioned “anti-fake news” bill that passed in November. And a bill currently being drafted only asks social media groups to take down hateful posts, which already happens in Germany.