French Turn on Macron, as They Grow Impatient for Results

It all seems to boil down to economy. Good looks or "optics" do not seem to be enough. "those in the broad economic and social tiers below the elite complain that they are paying the price as Mr. Macron makes France more capitalist, forsaking traditions of equality and fraternity in favor of the rich." One might make a similar claim regarding favoring the rich re Mr. Trump and the GOP, but unlike France, the economy in the US seems to be on an upswing. "Mr. Macron once declared to an interviewer that the French missed their king — forgetting that they had also executed him." “You can’t disagree with him,” Mr. Blanchet said. “It’s clear: I won’t vote for him again.” If the economy is good people don't care, but that does not seem to be the case in France.

Last summer I vacationed in France for the 10th time. Every time in Paris I'm surprised how the government can manage this country without going bankrupt e.g. (almost) free higher education (my nephew is going to one of the Grandes Ecoles and paying almost nothing), free health care (of course doctors' earnings are not as high as their counterparts in the US), excellent public transportation, decent vacation (5 weeks), and good pension. As I returned to Silicon Valley, I found out my friend, a retired engineer, put her house for sale because she had to pay for her Alzheimer husband's assisted living. Another friend, a lawyer, was struggling with her medical bills because the amount surpassed the limit on her Obama care. These folks used to be hard working, middle class.

A small correction to the article: it was not the press that referred to him as Jupiter, but it was Macron himself who referred to himself as Jupiter, i.e, as someone above the fray. It did not go down well. The French are essentially ungovernable because of generations of socialist governments whose dictum was wealth sharing rather than wealth creation. This is now part of the French genetic code. Compounding the madness is the choice of remote elitists from the Grandes Ecoles to form successive governments whose guiding principles are: of course your proposals work in practice but do they work in theory. Finally what we are seeing in France is a kind of phenomenon where everybody recognizes that reform is necessary, but a reform that should begin elsewhere rather than in one's own area of activity.

We're not "impatient for results", we're fed up with Macron's arrogance and the inexperienced fools he's surrounded himself with. This government needs to get it through their thick heads that the only reason they were elected was to keep the FN out of government and Marine Le Pen out of the Elysée Palace. Most of the French are left of center - unfortunately the Left is divided among now small, squabbling parties with no natural leader except for Jean-Luc Mélanchon who, if he wasn't so busy promoting his cult of personality, might be president right now.

The American press sedulously avoids any mention of la France Insoumise or J-L Melenchon, who is acknowledged to be the hardest working politician in France today and the best orator, despite growing up with hearing difficulties as a child -- and mastering two languages simultaneously none the less. (M. Melenchon is bilingual French-Spanish.) Instead, they wave the specter of Le Pen, to the point where some of my friends here actually thought she might win the last election. Interesting that M. Melenchon's achievement is at once a positive example of the embrace of true diversity and multiculturalism, which is not and should never be to the detriment of the people as a whole, and an example of what we are told "those lazy leftists" would never do. Could that be why Melenchon is so rarely mentioned? Does he upset -- narratives?

...very hard to be a 'centrist' trying to heal the splits. Everyone will hate you... But, would that the US could come up with a brilliant, young, progressive, humanist centrist! Vivre Macron!

No doubt Macron is a member of the long standing ruling elite in France. He seems to have ambitions to be an amalgam of Tony Blair and Bill Clinton. Middle way type political leaders trying to show they are open for business, not captive of their party's statist constituencies.

A number of commenters have mentioned France and its "socialism" as if this somehow is tied into Macron - which couldn't be further from the truth. Macron is a neoliberal to his core. He believes in the profits of the financial services, corporations - the usual Davos crowd of which he is a paid in full member. Cutting benefits and services for the public, slashing wages, breaking unions - this has a long history on all sides of the Atlantic. Like Obama before him (who was supportive of Macron) - the Clinton's, Bush's, Reagan, Thatcher etc., if he thinks of the public at all, it's that maybe some fragile benefits will filter down to them through the wonderful magic of the market and their elite overseers. There's nothing complicated or mysterious about any of this. It's a big long con game. Money and rent seeking is siphoned off from the working and middle classes, the poor are basically left to their own bootstraps and the rich see their wealth grow. All that's needed to recognize this is to open one's eyes and pay attention to facts. This is society now in most of the Western world (and emerging "economies" as well). They want to say some of the right things so that people don't rise up as one and storm the temple. Obama was a master at this and people like Macron and Trudeau have learned from his wise counsel. As George Carlin said, it's a big club and we're not in it.

Equality of opportunities? You must be kidding. The poor in the US have much less opportunities than rich. Their housing, security, access to health, access to education is much worse than in many developed countries. As result opportunity for poor to get out of poverty is not so great, and we are seeing it in social mobility decline. With all its trouble, France is 7th economy of the World, and productivity of French workers is about same or even greater than in the US, Canada and UK, and that is all with 4 weeks vacation and 28hrs week

Take note, France, Macron is what you get when you hand over state control to a capitalist, creatures whose hearts pump pure green. They will never have the interests of the citizen at heart - just how much they can skim off of them in their lifetime, and no doubt charge rent for a grave plot. Still, better him than the fascist.

Macron is misinterpreting his "landslide" victory. He only won because the center-right candidate got into a financial scandal, and because he ended up in a runoff against the far-right, unelectable, Marine Le Pen. As he's now finding out the hard way, he does not have a mandate to turn France into a U.S.-style economy. If he wants to behave like a king, he is definitely in the wrong country for that...

The French sense of entitlement is breathtaking...and a warning to all of us in the West. People DO get the government they deserve.

Macron's agenda is to integrate the French economy into the global economy. The French in professions that see their real wages (pouvoir d'achat) fall towards the global average(roughly that of China) are not enthralled. Alas, the global elite, including M. Azul, that profits from globalization is enchanted. Quelle surprise

So the French aren't all that different from Americans in that they want all the good stuff, as long as somebody else pays for it. There are only two types of citizens in all Western Democracies, those who wan't free stuff because they say they deserve it, and those who wan't free stuff because it's easier to get stuff free than to work for it.

not too surprised at Macron's problems, his support seemed shallow in the first place. Maybe there is no solution for the underlying problem - globalization where French workers and French industry must compete with so many countries with cheaper labor where workers have far less benefits, and where they don't care as much about environmental protection, community, and in general, la joie de vivre. Part of the race to the bottom.

Piketty, author of Capital in the 20th Century, on Macron Dec 2017: "It is customary to contrast Trump and Macron: on one hand the vulgar American businessman with his xenophobic tweets and global warming scepticism; and on the other, the well-educated, enlightened European with his concern for dialogue between different cultures and sustainable development. All this is not entirely false and rather pleasing to French ears. But if we take a closer look at the policies being implemented, one is struck by the similarities. In particular, Trump, like Macron, has just had very similar tax reforms adopted. In both cases, these constitute an incredible flight in the direction of fiscal dumping in favour of the richest and most mobile." ... details follow on how the tax reforms are identical. then the conclusion "For the first time since the Ancien Régime it has thus been decided in both countries to set up an explicitly derogatory system of taxation for the benefit the categories of income and wealth held by the most affluent social groups. " http://piketty.blog.lemonde.fr/2017/12/12/trump-macron-same-fight/

There is a lesson here for America. The French and many Western European version of equality revolves around egalitarianism (i.e., jobs for life even if the industry is failing, 35 hr work weeks, 4 weeks vacations and special vacation bonuses, etc.). The US version of equality revolves around equality opportunity. If you look at the results of the two models you can see the differences. The US leads in technology (e.g., Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc.) and Western Europe leads in old industries (i.e., manufacturing). The EU is trying to prevent these disruptive industries from dominating their comfort level (e.g., the EU decided that Google should be severely fined billions of dollars because they developed a better model). When the US has the 2020 election it will be facing very similar issues. Should we embrace more socialism and gradually strangle the golden goose or do we believe in old fashion America ingenuity to move further into the 21st Century with new jobs and opportunities.

An excellent piece by Mr. Nossiter who demonstrates his knowledge of French politics. Among othres, I particularly appreciated this line: "a country where toppling leaders is part of the national DNA". Put the blame on Descartes and his Cartesian doubt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_doubt For centuries now, nearly all French teenagers have been taught the lessons of the 17th-century philosopher that just everything should be systematically argued, discussed, dismissed and rejected because there's nothing we can be sure of. See the dream argument: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_argument Not all French people are savy philosophers of course but Descartes' teaching has left an indelible mark in the French's psyché. Hence their leaning to always critizise, never be satisfied and being professional complainers as one commenter wrote before. Indeed, a country where toppling leaders is part of the national DNA.

Macron was elected for one reason only…he was not Marine Le Pen. The French media and political establishment were scared witless, perhaps rightfully so, about the growing populism and nationalism in Europe. And there was plenty of foreign intervention in the election, including a bit of ineffective Russian hacking/leaking trickery, but more importantly, the voiced support of Obama, Merkel, and Juncker. The population was sufficiently frightened into voting for the French equivalent of the U.S. establishment Republican who promised to undo a century of French economic/social policy. While Macron’s changes may indeed be necessary and painful, they cannot now be a surprise to French voters. Unfortunately, if this is the price of globalism/Europeanism, the French may be unwilling to pay it in future elections.

I worked for a French company for a decade. While we 'greedy Americans', as they used to call us, did not get anywhere near the same benefit package as our colleagues in France nor was there a significant pay difference, we were still labeled greedy because we thought we should be paid for our contribution to the firm's results. It's a completely different culture where the customer is barely ever right, yet the company always is. Customers should pay for the privilege of transacting business with the French company. No wonder the French have a hard time competing on the world stage, and have had to resort to an totally unsustainable welfare state to keep the population happy. No wonder Macron is unpopular, he actually thinks people should have to go to work. The problem is, French industry as a whole cannot compete. At the end of the day, the problem with Socialism is that one day you run out of other people's money to spend. And that day is right around the corner is France and many other EU nations.

Mr. Macron is the last chance for the EU. If he fails, it will probably be the Rassemblement National and Marine Le Pen who will put an end to the European pacification project. It's up to Europe's self absorbed uncle Scrooge, Germany, to help falling back to the ancient custom of European disunity. For instance, by pulling their weight on military spending and share the French effort on a plausible deterrence.

Valuable comments especially from France re Macron. One has to but remember the disaster that has been the French presidency for the past 30 years to realize the challenge he, Macron set up for himself. Many commentators mention the tendency of all voters - not just the French- to expect short term benefits from elections. That would be so nice if it was realistic. The fact is that it has taken France generations to reach the level of economic stagnation and unsustainability that it occupies and it will take Macron and at least one other President to continue to make the kinds of reforms and changes in French economic life. He has barely begun to bend the curve.

The French want to have their cake and eat it, too. Unfortunately, in a globalized economy, that's no longer possible. I wrote an article years ago that predicted the National Front would come into power after the Socialists demonstrated their complete unfitness to rule. Then Macron came out of nowhere and at least briefly changed the equation of French politics. If the French can't accommodate to the ground truth that you can't have it all, then they will have nowhere else to turn and will fall into the arms of right-wing populism.

This crisis in his domestic political world is no doubt a big factor in his (and his ministers) increasingly bitter attacks on the Old Enemy, the British! Transfer attention from his domestic failures by creating a foreign bogey man to deflect attention away from him. Given the extremely close economic and historic ties between France and the UK, and the UK being a market where France sells vast amounts of agriculture goods, electricity and wine, you would think he would be in an ideal position to be a mediator behind the UK and the EU. That would be in France's best medium term and long term interest. I guess when the Germans say no to the colossal benefits Macron seeks to shore up French infrastructure, he will find a new bogeyman.

Instead of throwing rocks at the mechanic trying to fix the engine, we French should better blame our stubborn refusal to consent to the most basic and necessary reforms for the past 40 years. The efforts by M. Macron to overhaul the labor code, or his attempts to draw investment to productive apparatus are certainly not the root cause of the discouraging current stagnation. Unfortunately, we are unable or unwilling to consider the long-term effect when it comes to retain our petty benefits, encouraged by corporations that are expert at setting the streets on fire instead of surrendering the slightest advantage. The results are there, and they should not come at a surprise. Despite some of his decisions hit me directly, I am grateful that Macron took the courageous stand of breaking with the longstanding presidential tradition of cuddling his fellow citizens by resorting to increasing the debt again and again. It is surely unpopular, yet it is indubitably brave. Good luck.

Using my best clinical skills left over from a career as a clinical psychologist in America, allow me to give my take on President Macron and his behavior for the last year. He came to the job with preconceived perceptions of French citizens. He seems to believe that his values for aggressive capitalism are the most appropriate for the country, ignoring the fact that many French people don’t agree with that economic lifestyle. This is a shame because Macron is very likely sincere about wanting to help all French citizens but his judgmental and superior attitude is interfering with his ability to elicit support from the voters. Politicians without humility and empathy for their constituents are not qualified to be affective change agents.

I live in France, and travel all over France for work. The one thing the French do better than anyone is complain. Macron is fighting an uphill battle at every front. Let’s take the railway reform for instance. The benefits were created at a time when trains ran on coal and it was a dirty job. Those times have long past, yet the railway workers still want the benefits from a part of their job that hasn’t existed in nearly a century. So Macron pushed to reform these benefits. Everyone who already gets them is grandfathered into them already. They won’t be affected. And anyone who joins the railway workers until 2020 gets them too. Yet the railway workers shut down the trains for nearly the entire summer, for benefits they won’t even lose. This is France, this is what Macron is fighting against. The most minimal change, no matter what it is, has been met with ruthless strikes resulting in paralysis of major cities and industries.

Unlike America, however, there is no tampering with hand-counted paper ballots, so they won't be biting their nails on Election night wondering if Russia has decided their fate for them. The French despite being a culture of contradictions, are committed to the principle of la nationalite, and think always of the whole, the identity of the nation, whereas Americans think of politicians as celebrities and don't have a sound knowledge of government. Trump said once to Howard Stern the only reason he'd run as a Republican is because they're so stupid!

Macron is first and foremost President of France because he successfully used fear to cause the electorate to accept what many, in their hearts, knew were empty promises. Second, his victory was assured once his behind the scenes wealthy powerful elite backers realized it was necessary that one of their own be at the helm or watch helplessly as France became the second EU member rushing for the exit. Macron is the French version of Trump, albeit able to use his well nurtured but entirely false appearance of sophistication to lull many into the notion he cares about the welfare and wellbeing of the common people. The luster has worn off and the same dull brass brutality that is Trump, now exposed, will be his downfall. People everywhere are waking, slowly, but finally, and the .01% are realizing that all they can do is delay their date with their comeuppance.

The Times needs to quit confusing globalism with democracy and populism with authoritarianism. The multinational-corporate movement represented by people like Emmanuel Macron is entirely anti-democratic. It handcuffs individual governments with trade agreements and supply chain webs, limiting the power of those who elect those governments to manage their own lives. Populist movements, on the other hand, have an unfortunate tendency to attract bigots and authoritarians to their cause, but at their heart they are attempts to preserve or restore the power of the people (who are, of course, the 'pop' in populist). If an establishment party would actually try to serve the interests of the people living within the borders of the country within which it operates, no one would have to turn to parties like the Rassemblement National or the AfD. But the establishment parties have given up that role. Instead they try to distract us from their multinational-corporate agenda by spinning great webs of concern and activity over people living outside their borders, and with mobilizable minorities living within. This isn't over. Once Macron and Merkle fall, France and Germany will get their Donald Trumps, as Poland and Hungary have already done. And we'll probably move on to something even worse. Maybe it has to be this way. Or maybe we still have time to turn them out.

I don't live in France - though wish I could - I love everything about France. And I follow it's politics closely. And had cheered and continue to cheer this young President. So, it is a shock to read that he is treading water way way below our POTUS. At the same time, it also shows a dispolar order of business in Europe - EU which this president assiduously promotes - yet his own domstic policies are being questioned. It's the same with rest of EU leaders - reviled at home but using EU stage to force changes on other countries that folks in their own countries find objectionable. Mr Tusk - a Pole - comes to mind. Reviled at home in Poland and where his own country is drifting away - he can't push EU hard enough. Sooner or later - something has to give. And it is EU that will pay the price - and especially the arrogance coming out of Brussels.

"A very good government for the rich, who are kicking the poor out into the street! Not for people who are actually working.” France's socialist mentality is toxic. Beware, America.

They have nearly one retiree for each worker, and they want Macron to give them a dynamic economy? There would be riots in the street, only everyone is much too old to riot.....

Macron makes the big mistake that most politicians make i.e, they promote themselves to kingship and its lifestyle under a republican disguise.

The MSM pulled out all the stops to him. Macron was an "Investment Banker" for 3 years making 3 million euros off commissions. He won because the main stream right candidate Fillon (who had a more comprehensive reform platform) got caught in a scandal where he paid his wife a salary for questionable work. Macron did something quite clever to assure power he fielded all new candidates in the ensuing assembly elections with politically naive people. This aspect of him really appealed to me. France will be near impossible to reform. Like the US and others it has spent itself into zero budgetary maneuvering room. The outsourcing and hollowing out of the economy have hurt badly too. All that can be done realistically now is stage manage the decline or radically alter trade.

Poor Macron! The French are difficult though..... A hard audience to turnaround. Good luck Emmanuel...you will need it

The French Barack Obama: Big hat, no cattle. Young and dynamic, yet no follow through, except as it pertains to ramming through changes that benefit the rich. This is the Neoliberal playbook. Sound familiar?

Even allowing for the French' legendary bloody-mindedness, the accusations are broadly right: he is governing from the right and with few results.

Oh, the French! This happens to every recent President. Francois Hollande's popularity fell to single digits. Sarkozy went from 65% to 25%. Chirac fell to 29% in 2007, at that time a new low. There's little "partisanship" in France. So what you see is how people really feel about those in power, without any "base" of support. It's rather sad, and speaks to the appeal of strong man rule. You might think the French themselves would recognize their penchant for turning on those they've elected. Don't count on it. Cynicism is easy.

This election was a pur theft. He has been elected by the press which glorified, praised him as the God that would save my country and Europe. The propaganda was so massive, that many people were totally brainwashed, they didn't even know his program, but they voted for him because he is "Young and dynamic...". More than 1 year later people finally understand the robbery. They have understood that the press and the media backed him because they are owned by those richer than Croesus. And if we dare demonstrating against the God, his personnal secret police is going to beat you up.