Emmanuel Macron has taken many risks in a political career filled with crises, but his decision to call snap elections may be too high a risk, damaging his legacy and ushering in a life of extremes.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The shock of Macron dissolving the National Assembly following his centrist party’s defeat in the European elections still lingers, with even figures like the president admitting concern over the political turmoil.
Macron’s best friend, former High Minister Edouard Philippe, said, “It was the president who killed the presidential majority.”
The far-right National Rally (RN) is tipped to win, potentially giving Macron’s longtime rival Marine Le Pen’s party the post of prime minister for the first week in a frustrating “cohabitation.”
Macron’s reputation has fallen to such a level that aides have suggested he should take a back seat in the campaign, with Prime Minister Gabriel Attal coming in for the most criticism.
For one of Macron’s staunchest supporters, the biggest outrage stems from his sudden rise to the presidency.
“There is a desire for revenge on the part of politicians who are angered by his success,” said Francois Patriote, head of pro-Macron representatives in the upper echelon Senate.
Born in Amiens to two doctors, Macron met his current wife, Brigitte, when she was a schoolmaster and was 25 years his senior.
A former classmate at the elite graduate college ENA said, “When he was 16, he fell in love with his drama teacher and said he would marry her and then he married her. That’s a very strong thing. “
With the same confidence, he left the federal government of former President François Hollande in August 2016 to arrange his own run for the presidency, a dangerous journey this week.
He went straight to creating En Marche (At the Go), a political movement with the same initials as its leader and won the presidential election in 2017 by a vote of 39.
Calling himself a “hopeless optimist”, Macron further said he was prepared to deal with it “because France was unhappy and worried”.
Optimism towards the former Rothschild funding banker, who had once promoted a “revolution” in his position, soured briefly over his financial policies once in the workplace.
The former financial system minister under the socialist government earned fame as the “President of the Rich” and announced at the beginning of his term that he would abolish taxes on high earners.
Later, in the last 12 months, his move to increase the departure rate from 62 to 64 sparked a number of protests and reinforced the perception that Macron is out of touch with the family.
“There are a lot of people who think I’m arrogant,” he said. Early jokes made him nervous, including the one about the unemployed who wanted to “cross the street” to find a job.
Now the 46-year-old is confident that his financial track record speaks for itself, with France considered Europe’s most attractive country for foreign investment and eliminating much of the unemployment.
For most, however, Macron’s commitment to centrism has not withstood the tide of domestic and global crises – or the pressure of far-reaching impact.
The anti-government “Yellow Vest” movement, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine are some of the difficult situations Macron has faced during his tenure.
Although his support domestically continues, Macron remains a leading voice in European politics.
Franco-German ecologist Daniel Cohn-Bendit said, “We should not dispute. He is the great European of his time,” although Macron’s condition is that he is “convinced of being right.”
Macron aligned himself with allies on providing aid to Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion, although he angered many by continuing talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Over the next two years, the second is right as Macron has refused to include sending troops to Ukraine, a move criticized through alternative Western international venues as needlessly inflammatory.
The late former mayor of Lyon, Gérard Collomb, was extra direct in his complaint, calling out Macron’s “arrogance” and a “lack of humility” within officials.
The perception that Macron is becoming more and more isolated is part of the situation, said one former guide.
“He has no grassroots network… the people around him are the same, they do not express the mood of the times,” he said.
The leading lady’s age is not hidden As a moderate figure, Macron has moved to the right, leading some to accuse the president of opportunism.
On the night of his 2017 victory, Macron pledged in front of the Louvre museum that he would do “everything” in his power to protect the French so that “there is no longer any reason to vote for extremists”.
Despite this, for many, the young centrist they voted for has become more and more legitimate, opening the door for alternative extremists to gain reserve.
The same man who took inspiration from the anti-capitalist party’s slogan to win re-election in 2022 has followed the words of the last right-wing leader Eric Zemmour “so that France remains France”.
For Le Pen, who feels hopeful of regaining the presidency in 2027, Macron has “a resilience, an incredible confidence that is both his strength and his weakness.”
A former special guide sees that plasticity differently.
“He is turning his back on 2017 and humanist values,” said Philippe Granzon, adding, “There is no rightward turn… The president is embracing changing ideas.”
Macron rejected those criticisms, saying he was ultimately on his own. “You make the hardest decisions on your own,” he said.
VL-FF-EKF/SJW/DB
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