When Emmanuel Macron was re-elected to a second and final term a year ago, he promised a new way of governing based on broad consensus and careful listening to popular concerns. Far from that goal, France is experiencing a social and political crisis of an unprecedented magnitude in the recent past, with a democratic quality questioned by several sectors and a burnt-out president of the republic, the object of panning in the cities he visits and whose image of arrogance and insensitivity to citizens’ sentiments has been honed to boundaries that are difficult to manage. The controversial pension reform that shifts the retirement age from 62 to 64 has lit the fuse, although widespread unrest in the streets is also fueled by causes ranging from the loss of quality of life for large groups to a widening gap with the elites in power. Imposing the project by decree, after a stubborn refusal to negotiate with the trade unions and without any understanding with the opposition, has turned it into nonsense that has provoked anger among the people, the intensity of which will be measured today in the 1 May Mobilizations. It is true that Macron went to the polls with a commitment to approve it, which he did with a questionable but perfectly legal procedure. Indeed, his victory had at least as much support for his candidacy as the rejection of the ultra Marine Le Pen, his rival in the second round. And that it has not been able to convince the country of the need for initiatives already applied in other countries and justified by the demographic scenario and its impact on government accounts. The serious deterioration in the president’s credibility is a heavy ballast for moving forward in the four years left in the modernization of France that he announced. Without the opportunity to run for re-election, he has a free hand to assume the profile of a statesman who makes decisions for the common good, no matter how painful they are and regardless of their election consequences. No one will be able to contradict his political courage. Macron has shown such clumsiness in handling an explosive situation that he has given wings to extremism from the right and left – the main alternatives to his leadership – and dangerously damaged the prestige of the institutions. Despite everything, there is still time to restore some national consensus and lift the country out of the abyss.
Source: La Verdad
I am George Kunkel, an author working for Today Times Live. I specialize in opinion pieces and cover stories that are both informative and thought-provoking – helping to shape public discourse on key issues. My work is regularly featured across the network’s many platforms, including print media and social media.
