HOW DID THE SHOWDOWN END? Renault agreed to limit formal control of its larger partner in a shareholder pact to defuse the stand-off. The deal, reached in December 2015, when Macron was secretly preparing to launch the political movement that would propel him to the Elysee - effectively weakened Renault's control over Nissan while avoiding the political humiliation of an immediate re-sale of the government's extra Renault shares. In November 2017, the French government sold down its Renault stake, paring the holding back to its historic 15-percent level. COULD THAT CONCESSION IMPACT RENAULT TODAY? Potentially, yes. By relinquishing the ability to impose decisions on the Nissan board, Renault will be weakened should a power struggle break out. (Reporting by Michel Rose and Laurence Frost; Editing by Richard Lough and Mark Potter)