French President Emmanuel Macron, no longer omnipotent, now needs allies OLASMEDIA TV NEWSThis is what we have for you today:
PARIS—President
Emmanuel Macron
has cast off the lofty mantle of Jupiter. The French leader, who once compared the country’s presidency to the king of the Roman gods, spent much of his first term impervious to political opposition, issuing guidelines and inviting limited debate. For his second five-year term, he has chosen a lesser god as his new governance model.
“Vulcan, with the forge,” Macron said in a recent TV interview, referring to the god of fire and metalwork, patron of blacksmiths.
Mr Macron is facing a new political reality. In June, he lost his overwhelming majority in the National Assembly, the House of Representatives, as a blow to his political agenda. The French leader will now have to negotiate with opposition lawmakers to advance individual bills through a divided legislature.
“Jupiter sent directives like lightning bolts. Vulcan is a craftsman, patiently building new majorities by the sweat of his face,” said Olivier Rouquan, a research professor at the Paris-based Study and Research Center for Administrative and Political Sciences.
Mr Macron was re-elected president in April by a double-digit margin, and candidates from a newly elected president’s party usually drive to office in his coat. But his margin of victory fell sharply from his first election: five years of pro-business policies under Mr Macron, including easing labor protections and cuts to working conditions, alienated many voters, especially on the left.
At the National Assembly in Paris, a new left-wing coalition forms the second largest bloc.
Photo:
SARAH MEYSSONNIER/REUTERS
Rising energy and food prices, fueled in part by the war in Ukraine, have also taken a political toll on Mr Macron, who has often been criticized for being out of touch with the daily hardships of working and middle class French people.
His provocative style has often angered his opponents. Mr Macron once told an unemployed gardener that finding a job would be as easy as crossing the road. He said striking workers at a factory in southwestern France should find other jobs instead of messing around, and told a unionist that working was the best way to pay for a suit. More recently, he used a vulgar expression to push aside criticism of his past conduct as economy minister to pave the way for the ride-hailing app.
Uber Technologies Inc.
to continue operating in France.
“Macron’s arrogance keeps us united against him,” said Green Party MP Sandrine Rousseau.
The Greens, Socialists, Communists and the far-left party France Unbowed have forged a coalition that now represents the second largest bloc in the National Assembly. Together they own 151 chairs. Mr Macron’s party, recently renamed Renaissance, still has the most seats, but not enough to form a majority in the 577-seat assembly. Renaissance and its allies hold 250 seats, while
Marine Le Pen’s
The far-right National Rally and the center-right party Les Républicains have 89 and 62 seats respectively.
Green Party lawmaker Sandrine Rousseau has accused Emmanuel Macron of arrogance.
Photo:
bertrand guay/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
On Wednesday, Macron won an early victory in his attempt to rule without a clear majority, as lawmakers approved France’s revised budget for 2022, allowing higher spending to mitigate the impact of inflation. The National Assembly had already approved billions of euros in new measures on July 22 to help households cope with runaway inflation, including an increase in pensions, an increase in social benefits and a cap on rent increases. The proposed legislation, which the government says is part of a new package of 20 billion euros, equivalent to 20.25 billion dollars, to soften the blow of inflation, has moved to the Senate.
Les Républicains lawmakers agreed to support the government after intense negotiations with Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne’s cabinet. Renaissance voted in favor of several amendments championed by conservative lawmakers, including a bigger discount on fuel, a tax exemption for overtime and the ability for employees to receive money for unused vacation time from their employer.
But Les Républicains lawmakers say their support should not be taken for granted. On July 23, they voted with the left-wing coalition and the far-right for an amendment that would increase subsidies to local authorities against the government’s will. A dozen lawmakers from Horizons, a party founded by the former prime minister
Edouard Philippe
and ally of Renaissance, also supported the amendment, exposing cracks in Mr Macron’s coalition.
Emmanuel Macron, riding with Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, greeted the crowd during a visit to the country on Thursday.
Photo:
ludovic marin/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
On Wednesday, lawmakers including Les Républicains also passed an amendment increasing subsidies for households that use heating oil for heating, despite the government’s efforts to block it.
The measures frustrated the government. “I am amazed to see that legislators, who are constantly talking about restoring public finances, are making such public expenditures,” said France’s finance minister.
Bruno the mayor
said.
The government will continue to face opposition in the coming months. One of the next bills on the National Assembly table is Mr Macron’s plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 65. Macron’s previous attempt to overhaul the system led to the longest transport strike in history in December 2019 France. The government later shelved the plan so it could focus on the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have already led a great battle over pensions, we will fight again against this social decline,” said communist lawmaker Pierre Dharréville.
As lawmakers debated in the National Assembly, this week Mr Macron was on a three-legged journey across Africa, a journey intended to strengthen political ties with the continent and boost agricultural production following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The best strategy for Macron to advance his political agenda could be to stay away, given the French leader’s division, and focus on European and international issues, some analysts say.
“If he wants to give his government a chance, he should get out of the way,” said Olivier Costa, a research professor at the Paris-based Sciences Po University and France’s National Center for Scientific Research.
Write to Noemie Bisserbe at [email protected]
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