Macron’s popularity has fallen significantly due to controversial reforms. Now France’s president has addressed the people with an opulent press conference – and tried to score points again with the French.
Resignation? Pessimism? Fear? Nothing for President Emmanuel Macron. Attack is the best defense, including for his controversial cabinet reshuffle. “Why is this government the tightest and youngest in the history of the Fifth Republic?” asks Macron. And explains: “Because this epoch of crisis needs, above all, boldness, action and efficiency. So that France remains France – a nation of common sense, resistance and light.”
In concrete terms, that means: The Marseillaise on the primary school students’ timetable, twice as much social studies, probably school uniforms for everyone and definitely several weeks of service to the nation for young people. So that they don’t riot like last summer, single parents in particular should be helped.
At such a rendezvous with the nation, it would also be good to announce two billion euros less taxes for the middle class from 2025. Or six months of parental leave for mother and father. A small downer: the additional payment for medication is to double to one euro.
The issues of the extreme right
But “so that France remains France” is a campaign slogan of the conservative Republicans that the extreme right has also used. A journalist asks him whether he failed. Macron set out to prevent extremes and now they are way ahead in the polls for the European elections?
Macron becomes emotional: “In all European democracies, including our German neighbors, the return of the right-wing extremists was thought to be impossible, but it is there. To prevent it, you have to address the reason why they are elected.”
That means: fight against unemployment, deindustrialization, illegal immigration. But Macron warns against the logic: “The country is doing badly. We haven’t tried that yet. They are against the government – so they’re likeable!”
“The Party of Lies”
The right-wing extremist party Rassemblement National (RN) is still the party of lies, said Macron. Macron complains that she promises a pension at 60 without explaining how that is supposed to work. With the RN would also come the hidden Frexit, and that would weaken France. Without Europe, however, there would have been no vaccine against Covid and no economic recovery plan after the pandemic.
“Basically, the RN has become the party of simple anger. Let’s not get used to it. Let’s act, let’s do something!” demands the president. Be convinced by real results that this is the best answer against the right, and he will fight for it until the last quarter of an hour.
Commitment to Ukraine and the Middle East
In terms of foreign policy, Macron sees Russia’s war against Ukraine as the greatest threat to Europe. He announced new arms deliveries to Kiev and a trip there in February.
He also remains committed to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and announced a national commemoration for the more than 40 French victims killed in the conflict.
No concessions, no answers
The first reactions to Macron’s rendezvous came quickly: The left criticized him for not announcing an emergency plan for the homeless in the middle of the cold snap. The RN’s Marine Le Pen dismisses the press conference as “babble without vision.”
Macron himself was certainly looking ahead: to the next elections in which he can no longer run. “I understand that a lot of people are nervous about 2027. But I also understand that I still have three and a half years left as president. A lot will happen in that time.”
Macron leaves unanswered how the divided nation can find political compromises; he doesn’t specifically approach the others, doesn’t admit any mistakes, checks things off and carries on as usual.
He politely lets his government sit in front of his stage and invites himself into the living rooms for two and a half hours of prime time on several TV channels. A rendezvous is an appointment. But Macron was more of an uninvited guest.
Stefanie Markert, ARD Paris, tagesschau, January 17, 2024 8:10 a.m