If there is one thing that can be said about French President Emmanuel Macron, it is that he has mastered the art of political survival.
His presidency has been marked by an unrelenting succession of crises: from yellow vest protests and pension reform, to pandemic lockdowns, to race riots, to unchecked mass migration, to a deteriorating quality of life – Macron has survived them all.
But this moment in his blighted second term may be his biggest challenge yet.
His abilities as an “escape artist” will be tested to the limits as he attempts to strike a very delicate balance – striving for conservative votes, while not losing his global liberal influence.
Many would say it's impossible – and it sure seems that way when he puts his show on the road.
He faces a world of criticism from across the political spectrum, accused of “poaching from the far-right playbook.”
His sleight of hand is the appointment of Gabriel Attal, 34, the country's youngest prime minister – and the first openly gay – and a former socialist. While they looked at the shiny object, Macron appointed a government that shifted dramatically to the conservative region.
Prime Minister Attal has had a rocky start, with eight of the 14 new ministers from the centre-right opposition Republican Party, including Culture Minister Rachida Dati.
New Education Minister Amelie O'Dea Castera is in hot water after she sent her three children to a private Catholic school in Paris.
So Macron held a press conference to promote his new plan, and show that his leadership had not faded.
He spent over two hours answering promising questions “France is stronger to face the world’s challenges”.
The Associated Press reported:
“”I still have three and a half years in officeHe said, describing his ambition to change the daily lives of the French and address global crises.
[…] The 46-year-old centrist president promised “boldness, action and efficiency” in the hope of cementing his legacy with a series of reforms, starting with an economic bill aimed at boosting growth and cutting taxes for middle-class families.
He also detailed how he would preserve France's faltering health system and accelerate changes in schools. He advocated uniforms in public schools, learning the national anthem at an early age and expanding the two-week training period in high schools to promote French values and encourage young people to give back to society.
Behind his supposed new agenda, he backed away from his old, tired and rejected agenda, vowing to make France “stronger” by delivering more long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine. Yes, really.
(Missiles capable of striking deep into Russia and escalating the war in ways we cannot anticipate.)
He also suggested he would “find ways to work with Donald Trump” when he is re-elected – he's covering all the bases.
His difficult shift to the right is of course the result of the soaring rise of right-wing parties ahead of next June's European elections.
He denounced the National Rally as a “party of lies” while acknowledging the need to combat unemployment and control immigration.
He added: “Basically, the National Rally has become the party of easy anger.” 'Let's not get used to it.[…] I realize that a lot of people have been feeling nervous about 2027. But I also realize that a lot can happen in three and a half years.
Some of what he said mimics real conservative policies: he wants the French to have more children, he will renew compulsory national service, and he will return to school uniforms.
He said the country should do so “Learn how to share common values, culture, and civility in schools and in public spaces.”
Politico reported:
The French President announced plans to eliminate the time children spend in front of screens; Implementing compulsory classes in art history and drama, as well as high school graduation ceremonies; He expressed his support for teaching the national anthem in primary schools.
He also outlined the need to increase birth rates in order to “strengthen” France, and pledged to reform the parental leave system and put in place measures to address falling birth rates. In 2023, France's fertility rate will reach 1.68 children per woman on average, compared to 1.79 in 2022.
Critics say these measures are only aimed at attracting conservative voters.
Macron's announcements also sparked backlash from the left, with leaders of the left-leaning France Uncarved movement and the French Green Party describing the president's speech as… “retroactive”. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), European Green Party co-chair Melanie Vogel asked Macron's “military delusions” to “stop in our wombs” in response to his comments on birth rates.
Read more:
Young, gay French Prime Minister Attal hides a rightward shift in Macron's new government in an attempt to limit expected conservative victories.
