Macron is being vilified now, but he will be thanked later. He realized publicly what all other French politicians understood but delayed and openly denied - that France's overly generous welfare state, comprising of pensions, nationalized health care and rigid employment laws, would in time drive the French Treasury into virtual bankruptcy. Whenever Macron leaves office, he will have done the dirty work - his successor will not overturn those reforms.
70
Macron is trying to save the French from themselves. It is unfair to the average French citizen to allow select unions to receive full pension benefits as young as 52. Governments can't support 40 year retirement programs. Normalizing the pensions is the only fair and equitable solution.
BTW many French despised Sarkozy and Hollande -- the two former French Presidents.
103
That’s right but it unpopular. I don’t even know if Macron will ever get credit for this work.
There is a reason why politicians rarely do anything tough. It’s always easy to cut taxes, increase entitlements, or increase taxes on the rich.
7
France has been complacent for decades about reform and most of the time anger appears to be more about protecting privilege than benefiting society at large. President Macron understood at the start serious reform might cost him his future but finally improve life in France. 30 years from now most French will quietly appreciate what he has done.
105
The opposition to Macron comes from the extremes, who are unable to win (as yet) at the ballot box, so try to oppose Macron no matter what he does.
The French are lucky to have him.
92
@Macron
Please. Macron has been elected BY DEFAULT in a runoff situation against Far-Right candidate Marine Le Pen.
That 24% that voted for him in the "premier tour" is where he's always hovered percentage-wise according to opinion polls 2017 to now with a high of what? 35%?
The French are not lucky to have him. In fact, they cannot wait till he's gone. The sooner the better.
If he persists and dares to run again in 2022, there may not be a "Front Republicain" then, right-wing nationalists be damned.
2
@Eric In the French party system 24% on the first round is pretty good and more than enough to get elected.I think he has lost very few of those 24% and gained quite a few of the conservatives who voted for Fillion. He will meet Marine le Pen on the second round again , make her look foolish again and win .What is more doubtful is whether he will gain a huge majority again in the Chambre des députés.
2
French 70 year old retiree, most of my career in France. A brother with most of his career in USA. Here we have: good to excellent retirement for most; great social Medecine; almost free higher education, social services for the poor, great public transport, cheap, railroads all over the country, few homeless, no mass shootings, well, almost; benefits for poorer workers to include, vacation money, housing assistance, basically a safety net that raises the poor a couple of levels; relief from most taxes, worker protection, great unemployment; on the flip side there are many working poor, but they have the above benefits, many poor retirees, but most get above benefits, and by the way, did not pay much into the system when working. Macron has installed payroll deduction of income tax, is slowly eliminated an unfair 'living tax' that affects all households, created more apprenticeship programs than ever, is working to reform our pensions systems (there are 42 programs) all that the previous 3 presidents refused to touch, as these will not gain popularity points; as we see today. Macron is more intellect than 'hail fellow well met'; but he is getting overdue jobs done. Most of the 'unhappy' ones are at risk to losing a special privilege or the other, retirement in the 50s, with pay roughly equal to what is earned while working. My brother in USA has an ok retirement only because he saved like mad for years; he has to pay expensive medical inspire of being over 65.
160
@Jean louis LONNE - You left out one characteristic of France: the country is Broke. The Giles Jaunes (Yellow Vests) forced Macron to back down, raising taxes on the wealthy to buy the protesters off. And Macron, the head cheerleader for the EU, cannot get France to meet the deficit guidelines that group itself demands; "do as I say, not as I do" is a well-established mantra with him. His LREM party is heading for a shellacking in next month's municipal elections, for good reason - as the article indicates, he's universally disliked outside of the capitol elites.
As I've written here several times, the French, as you've said, have a wonderful lifestyle. Now, if they could only afford it !
16
@Connecticut Yankee
Looked at our national debt lately?
26
@Connecticut Yankee France is Broke. Maybe. But what about the US? US debt is 105% of GDP. Half bankruptcies in the US are due to health issues, and it will not get better as premiums, deductibles, and drugs are getting more and more expensive. Companies switched over the years from defined benefit pension plans to define contributions/401K plans in which most workers contribute too little and have no idea how to manage to get a fair return; as a result a large number of people at the age of retirement cannot retire. Infrastructure are a disaster; who knows when and where the next bridge will collapse. I could go on and on. The US is a disaster waiting to happen. But then where in the world is there a country which is not facing some sort of issues. Except for Germany, Scandinavia and a few other countries, the situation is dire.
17
We all have the capacity to behave like children, and the French don't have a monopoly on spoiling the electorate. Witness our current lot of U.S. presidential candidates, telling us how badly we've been wronged by (ourselves?) and promising more free stuff even they can't pretend we can afford.
The U.S. has an inevitable reckoning coming, and tough choices will have to be made regarding Social Security, Medicare, and deficit spending. Who is our Macron, able to assemble a moderate, serious coalition of grown-ups, willing to make hard choices and stand up in the face of withering opposition? He or she is out there but unfortunately not running for president this time, leaving us with an odious choice between pride and pander in November.
I'm cheering for Macron to succeed. Failure on his part will only delay inevitable change in the U.S. and fuel our current political cowardice.
2
What a fickle nation. If Macron did nothing they would despise him.
If indeed the United States decides to “ dip its political toes” into the untested waters of social democracy, France is not the model we want to use as a benchmark—-unless we intend to fail at it.
The country is lazy, inefficient, entitled, provincial, arrogant and extremely uncompetitive.
Macron has been trying so hard to change the status quo with some minor success. And for this small shift toward a modern economy, he is hated.
I wish him all the best, but there is no one alive capable of being the French people around on this.
40
@Joey Green I think there's a reason Bernie Spends most of his time talking about medicare for all rather than the rest of his policy ideas.
Medicare is becoming mainstream but I don't think all the other things he wants to do are particularly popular as its quite hard to manage these programs with an ineffective legislature, or even in Macrons case, with an effective one.
7
@Joey Green
My understanding is that the French have a higher productivity (GDP per person) than the USA. I suspect this is because the French are better educated and they have some strong industrial companies. They have a problem putting all their people to work.
22
No France GDP per capita is roughly $40K whereas the US is around $65K. The US GDP per capita has been higher since WW2 and the gap has grown since 2008.
17
I can't help but see Macron as a Napoleonic like persona especially with his pan-European ideology with France at the core of a United States of Europe.
2
The level of interest in pensions in France is such that my host parents when I went on exchange in high school in the 2000's, discussed the pension reforms that happened in Canada in the 80's.
Pension reform has been a long time coming and no one is surprised. The issue that most people have with Macron, is that it's his way or the highway. Many of the French that I've met are resistant to change in public services, but will accept reforms as long as everyone is treated the same and no one unfairly benefits. In practice, this is easier said than done.
1
As a newly-minted French resident, my take on this is this:
1) Macron is working hard to make meaningful, long-term changes that are absolutely necessary to keep the country on a sustainable economic path in the years ahead. Contrast this with the US’ dysfunctional government which goes way beyond burying its head in the sand about issues like health-care affordability and access, Social Security and Medicare solvency, etc., by not only instituting changes that will KEEP them viable in the years ahead but instead passing a $2 trillion deficit-funded giveaway to corporations and billionaires in the tax bill the GOP ramrodded through Congress and Trump signed in December 2017.
2) Of *course* those that retired as early as 52 with benefits in France don’t want to see their benefits cut. Understandable enough, but what fair and reasonable alternative are they offering that will lead to long-term fiscal solvency? Consider that the average life-expectancy in France is 82 years vs. 80 in the US, yet the full-benefits retirement age in the US is between 65 and 67 (depending on birth year) vs. Macron’s 64 years. It’s still better than the US; hope France can afford it.
3) I love another reader’s comment about the fact that instead of drinking themselves to death and taking opioids when times get rough, the French march in the streets in protest. Good on them!
4) I’m glad that the French government is doing way more than the US for its people and proud to be a part of it now.
19
1a) Sorry—that should read that the US *isn’t* passing any legislation that would help its citizens on health care costs or access, Social Security, and Medicare—if that’s not obvious.
@David Walker I totally agree and am envious of your new citizenship.
2
Never mentioned the privatisation of major airports in France as from the Thatcher era of Britain. Selling the family silver to make ends meet to reduce the government deficit as required under euro rules. Creative accounting rules?
1
As the French sometimes say, "You cannot make an omelet without breaking some eggs."
20
• 32% approval vote after three years is not bad for a French president: Hollande ,Sarkozy and Chirac did much worse. Macron was elected with 24% in the first round of the presidential election; our system is not a two parties system.Very probably, the next election will again see a second round between Macron and le Pen and Macron will win handily. The opposition from both the left and the right is in total disarray.A large part of the French territory has been a victim of deindustrialization ,like the American rust belt .At the same time the number of farmers has been divided by two in twenty years. The “gilets jaunes” movement started when a carbon tax was added to the price of gasoline ,which is already four time what it is in the States. When you have to drive miles to go to work ,see a dentist or go to supermarket it is easy to understand the discontent. When in despair the French do not take opioids ,they go fight the police (and they get results, there was a massive 19 billion euro injection of purchasing power after the riots, entirely financed by deficits).A strong majority of the French approve the suppression of the retirement “régimes spéciaux”, what they do not accept is the postponement of the retirement age from 62 to 64 in a country where the unemployment rate is high among the senior workers.
13
These 'leftwing economists' that predicted that employment would go down need to identify a mechanism as to how that would happen or get their degrees revoked.
Macron was an investment banker for four years so it’s a bit of a dog whistle to always define him that way. Most of the time he’s been a public servant.
11
Macron was an investment banker for four years so it’s a bit of a dog whistle to always define him that way. Most of the time he’s been a public servant.
3
@Leslie de Quillacq
Macron belongs to France's arrogant technocratic caste, reviled by a large majority of french people. This corrupt and incompetent new aristocracy which has ruled the country for 35 years, bears direct responsibility for the degeneracy of France's political institutions, the increase in social inequality and the rise of right wing populists.
4
Change is always difficult. Macron is addressing problems that must be solved even if they are unpopular with many. He will potentially make a huge contribution if the clock doesn't run out first.
4
@Curt Absolutely!! and ditto the reforms are absolutely necessary.
1
@Curt The changes as demanded by Germany? Fiscal responsibility.
@Curt
Note that for the pension system a government mandated study said there was no problem 2 years ago.
But one year ago the same organization that made the study said there would be a problem.
Why the difference in opinion?
Unless the new study results were preordained, one can only think that the degradation in the situation in so short a time can be attributed to the government measures, like removing funding to the pension system...
1
American workers need a large portion of what the French workers are eating. They seam to have the strength to stand up to the financial sector that always tries to take the fruits of their labor. Our unions are dead because members allowed it to happen.
7
Please stop stating Emmanuel Macron as " ex banker". Only two years of his career he worked for the bank. The last years he was government employee before becoming a president.
He is trying to change France to a more realistic economic society. Good luck!
6
It sounds in many ways like the French need a dose of realism. They may like pensions which begin at age 52 for some, but if the money is running out who will pay for them? They system has become more and more unsustainable. The unemployment rate also seems to indicate that things have not been working very well under their current system. Change is always hard; meaningful change even more so. I don't know if Macron was right or not, but somethings have long not worked in France. I suppose they can toss him out as others have been tossed, but somehow a broken system must be fixed.
7
It's possible to adore the French and have a little contempt for them at the same time. They behave like spoiled children sometimes, and the battle over pension reform is one example. I have sympathy for the Yellow Vests, but opposition to pension reform is just about trying to maintain an unsustainable status quo. The far left in France lives in the past, and the far right will say and do anything to get into power. Neither extreme has any understanding of modern economics.
Macron saved France from the National Front. He created a new party virtually out of thin air, and is moving France in the right direction, albeit by taking two steps forward, then one step back. His standing as a leader in the contemporary West continues to grow, despite the tantrums of the French person in the street.
14
@Jon Harrison
Macron saved France from the far right?
He enacted the kind of laws that they wouldn't have been able to pass in their best dreams...
1
To put this into context, UK (same size in GDP) unemployment rate 3.6%, Germany is 3.1%
4
Looks like Macron is waking up France. A few years back a french friend told me the current social system is not sustainable anylonger. Too kany holidays, generous pension schemes, severance packages. Well done, he is saving France.
9
The pro-Macron comments on this page are tone-deaf and frankly ridiculous from Americans who most likely have NO IDEA what is going on in France.
"Despising" Macron as the author states is a euphemism. Few words exist to describe the visceral revulsion the vast majority of French people have for Macron.
The latest IFOP poll puts his popularity @ 32% in February, up from an abysmal low of 23% in December 2018.
Simply put, his government has been amateur hour with over fifteen of his cabinet members and ministers leaving for corruption or other charges and the nonsense over the past three years has been unending.
French people have been marching and protesting for two years, often at the cost of their livelihoods, limbs and other body parts, or sometimes even their lives, symptoms of tremendous social unrest, and some here have the gall to call Macron the savior of Europe.
He's been governing and reforming AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE for the past three years. That is not what he was elected for.
Clearly, the average American has no idea when it comes to politics and international politics and can scarcely give French people any lessons given who they elected and let into the WH!
Speaking about Trump, Macron is no different, if not worse. Giving to the rich and taking from the poor-- with glee, and unlike Trump, he's a smart autocrat and despot wannabe.
10
@Eric
I read extensively about the origins of the Yellow Vest movement. Due to loss of jobs in small towns (thanks to stores similar to Walmart here in the U.S.), these towns have steadily lost jobs ...butcher shops, local stores, bakers. So people who live in them have to drive farther to find work....when Macron put a gas tax on all, it was these workers who were hurt ...already hard pressed, this was like salt in a wound. Macron had already given breaks to the rich. Hence the dedicated yellow vests - who have been hounded, hosed, lost eyes from government military action, etc. Then, topped off with the so called "pension reforms" now being put on the "little people", the "average" French person is marching for the future of his/her family.
Macron is an elitist, out for the wealthy. Similar to Trump but with better manners.
7
@Eric I'm French, worked 40 years, retired at 65, so I know what is going on here. First, Macron is honouring his campaign program, reform retirement, do away with the 'impot locaux' , an unfair tax hitting households wily-nily; increase employment, improve the school system, etc. The 3 previous Presidents over 20 years did not work these issues as they are unpopular, just kicked the can down the road. We do have issues; increasing the tax on diesel fuel was an ecological move, long promised by the previous government, and not very politically smart, as it brought about the 'yellow vests'. I may remind all that going on strike and demonstrating in the streets is a constitutional right here. Unfortunately, the people retiring in their 50s with excellent benefits, about equal to their pay, are mainly transport and government workers; thus though they represent a small percentage, they can disrupt the country, which is what happened, then of course you have to add the extremists , who come to break, destroy and cause havoc, and Voila, the news! Its more complicated than it seems at first read.
11
@Eric Sorry Eric, but having lived for over 35 years in France, I don't know a French person in my entourage that isn't praying for Macron's success. Reform is 30 years over due. Britain had Thatcher; Germany had Schröder - it wasn't easy but the results are there today. My French daughters both work in London as it's more dynamic and fun!! France will go the way of Italy if it can't reform. Having lived from 2011-2018 in Germany - the shock of how far behind France had fallen after 5 years of Holland was evident. Let's wish Macron luck!! He is being honest and realistic with his countrymen - something Trump is incapable of.
9
"The Parliament denounced President Macron and his revolutionary plans. Hundreds of protesters shout their fury."
Sounds familiar? A bitter medicine, tough love, or call what you want.
If a president is hated by some population, he must be doing something right for his country.
Like President Trump.
1
@Bhaskar You literally need to take a logic course.
14
The French don't know how good they have it! Health care, protections against being laid off, pensions. And being able to sit in that gorgeous café in Montmartre in the photo in the middle of this article! I'd swap places in a New York minute.
11
@Roberta Yes, they do know how good they have it. They have it so good that many have been to the USA, where they have seen 80 year olds working in McDonalds. They know how good they have it and that's why they were willing to walk miles to work for two months and in this month's elections, they will show the Neo-liberal champion, young arrogant banker Macron just how popular he is.
4
Macron, an arrogant thatcherite, is hated by 70% of the population for very good reasons. Since he became president, poverty has exploded (+ 400,000 people), the richest 1% have grown richer. The fall in unemployment is mainly due to statistics manipulations and the deletion of hundreds of thousands of people from the unemployment agency lists. Macron's pension reform is a disaster of incompetence. It is so complicated and has so many exceptions that its implementation will be extremely expensive. Even the national business association is against it. His presidency is littered with scandals and broken promises. 17 ministers have resigned since he took office. A record in the history of the Fifth Republic! The ultra macronist president of the national assembly himself is indicted for fraud. The intellectual level of several of his ministers is appalling. It is even worse among the macronist MP's. But the most serious scandal remains the police repression horrifying brutality against the yellow vests movement, which left thousands injured, including 900 very serious injuries (30 people lost an eye, 8 a hand or a foot). A situation that France had not experienced since the Algerian war in the early sixties and which has been condemned by the UN Human Rights Commission, the Council of Europe and Amnesty international. Recent polls show Macron's popularity rate around 23%. The authoritarian bourgeoisie darling, should suffer a resounding defeat in 2022.
13
@Jean Vignac
Absolutely. That is the sheer, unadulterated truth. That Richard Ferrand and Gilles Le Gendre are still part of the government after very clear corruption and conflict of interest situations is the tip of the iceberg.
Macron and this government are the absolute worst of the Ve Republique-- and that's saying something after Sarkozy and Hollande!
They have to go!
5
This article could be from the U.K. in 1982, three years into Maggie Thatcher’s redo of the economy and industrial policy. While she eventually went off the rails, her first five years took the U.K. screaming and crying from the 1950’s into the 1990’s. Maybe the same will happen for France and Mr Macron.
5
@Paul
You are right, Macron is trying to take France back into the 1990. His thatcherian thinking is totally outdated.
You obviously don't know what you're talking about. France has a vibrant economy which attracts a a lot of investment from around the world and specially the US. French workers have one of the highest productivity rate in the world.
6
Don't ever forget the French invented laissez-faire. I vividly recall a visit to a working laboratory-based company in France years ago. I sat in the lobby and watched every employee use her badge to key into — and out of — every lab, office, workspace and even the cafeteria.
Asking my host why there was such frenetic security badge activity, I was told that no one could "work" for more than 35 hours a week, hence the checking in and out of the work area. Why? Because if anyone worked more than 35 hours a week, they were put on notice for termination, with a second offense sending them packing. This was my first introduction to the arcane French system of employment, providing more jobs by utilizing people less. The pension system is the logical follow-on. Makes any American's head spin. If Macron is breaking even one part of that wacky system, he earns my best wishes.
13
@MCV207 That is not the norm at all. In fact I think the person was winding you up. It would have probably been more to do with overtime payments. Anyway, I've never heard of this, I often work 40+ hrs a week, I don't badge, nobody that I've heard of ever got fired, or threatened, for working too many hours. I have lived here 15 years.
How long ago was this? Was it a private company? Sounds totally unrealistic to me (used to be very difficult to fire someone in France, and still is actually).
I just don't want people blindly believing what that person told you because it is not true for everyone (or anyone?)
6
@MCV207 This was a windup, I worked for 40 years in France, including under the 35 hours, which I have to admit was not our best idea. No such thing existed or exists today. The pension system worked well from WWII till about 10 years ago, Macron is finally addressing the situation, a thankless task as you can see from the news. I have a great retirement, much better than I'd have in USA, that will not change, only the new retirees will have to work till 62-65, depending.
5
First, the (just barely, slightly) brightening of the economy in France does not necessarily have anything to do with Macron's so-called "reforms." These changes are quite recent and the uptick in the economy is probably due to inevitable cyclic swings rather than Macron's handiwork. Second, Macron will win his little battles but he will lose the war. His party will get thrashed in the next election, and should he chose to run for reelection himself, he will probably lose.
2
Twelve years is a long cycle, n'est-ce pas?
1
@Lotzapappa The 'uptick' as you call it is due to: increased apprenticeships, a more business friendly environment, reduced taxes to business, but also to people, tightening of unemployment rights, which were not inductive to going back to work, new 'small business' rules making it easier for artisans to start off, Brexit has given us a lot of finance operations fleeing London, except Brexit, I'd give Macron some credit.
2
Let me understand this. Unemployment is down. Workers are doing better (e.g., more long-term contracts). Bills are getting passed. Pensions are getting reformed. Traditional entrenched political parties — who have ruled for a long time, and have left the country with these problems — are being told to shut up and sit down.
This is a problem, how? Because some people have problems with style over substance?
17
now imagine the USA, and a genuine understanding of climate science meaning that air travel is the first baby step. which is what? in some urban areas.... New York..... tourism is a bigger chunk of the economy than cotton was in the south. not using small plastic shampoo bottles will be enough even for some solace.
1
I am not sure if the irony was on purpose, but I love the second photo, the one with the caption:
"The unemployment rate in France recently fell to 8.1 percent, its lowest rate in 12 years."
Illustrated by people sitting outside a cafe, having drinks and chatting with friends...
French people hard at work! Ha. We are doing it right (I am French).
6
“... The intractable unemployment rate, slayer of his predecessors, appears finally to be bending to a French president’s touch, recently reaching its lowest rate in 12 years at 8.1 percent.
Working-age employment rates are up, worker-training programs are showing big gains, quality long-term job contracts are outpacing precarious, short-term ones.
All of those are advances plausibly attributed to Mr. Macron’s landmark loosening of the rigid French labor market...”
These are all measurable, good, if not excellent results for the French and the French economy. Yet the ordinary citizen refuses to see it or accept it. The pension reforms will also benefit the country as a whole. The railroad workers got to retire early because 60-70 years ago that job was significantly more dangerous physically than it is now. The 21st century needs are not the same, and those benefits are no longer necessary, much less affordable. It has to stop even if that’s unpopular. Macron is clearly trying to drag a country into the 21st century that would prefer to permanently live in post WW2 nostalgia. I have heard French parents say they would rather their children be unemployed than not have the kind of job protection the parents have. Really?? Who in their right mind would think that way? And I say that as a devout francophile.
If people like Melenchon had their way, France would stagnate into fiscal and social ruin, drinking wine and eating cheese all the way. Time to wake up to reality.
20
@Neil , Last August, J-L Melenchon came here to Mexico. (See his YouTube channel.) During his long chat with our president, "AMLO" (once considered a raving Leftist by the Right) agreed that the (old) Left is now dead.
What you and Mr Nossiter aren't understanding is that what is going on is the French people's normal way of dealing with change. They hate it and they kvetch forcefully. But in the end, they (sort of) change.
Melenchon and many (but not all) others in France have a firm grip on reality. Indeed, a firmer grip, I think, than most folks in other countries.
2
@Harold, trust me, I know too well that the French don’t like change. They hate change and they love protest. “Taking it to the streets” is a national pastime. The French newspaper Le Monde even ran articles a few months ago with “advice” for if this was your first time taking oart in a street protest, explaining how it worked, what to expect, how to prepare, etc. The headline read a bit like “Is this your first cruise? Read this before you go.” I do, however, draw the line at burning cars and destroying small businesses. Kvetching is one thing, criminal damage is another.
3
@Harold (Mexico) Melenchon plays to his audience, extremists, He's up for abuse of women on his staff, abuse of government money, and in general when he speaks sounds like a raving maniac. I will agree he has a firm grip on reality, this is what keeps him in his position, playing to the peanut gallery.
Macron sort of sneaked into office. In the first round of voting, the left got a clear majority but it was split between three leftist candidates. This allowed Macron to sneak into the second round against the scary, unpopular Le Pen. The victory of whoever ran against her in that final round was assured. The majority of France clearly opposed Macron from day one and that majority is growing rapidly. He is counting on the left and the hard right to eliminate each other again and allow the 1% to take full control and destroy French traditions and lifestyle.
3
Simple he wants an American liberal economy and we do not. Most of us believe in a strong state and public services and he is destroying them one by one with the help of this liberal europe.
10
@arm19 By 'liberal' you must mean a 'market economy' - which in the end is a good thing. It translates to lower unemployment & more business creation. Talk to anyone who wants to start a business or open a branch in France - prior to these changes, it was a nightmare and there were many reasons not to, including the inability to fire people, the high cost of benefits....all of which leads to a high unemployment rate. Macron's changes will make for a more dynamic & efficient economy in the long run. It's a good thing.
4
Nice article, but why do you interview a bunch of protestors in order to find out what the French people think? Sure, all the people who make noise - unions, politicians, lobbyists etc. are all up in arms, but that about the regular people?
16
France is indeed a comfortable country. I don't know if I'd say complacent, as the author does; I'd use the word conservative instead (not in the political usage of the word). It's unsurprising to see such pushback in the face of what, for France, are drastic changes.
Macron is probably the Western leader in the most fascinating position, in my view. He's attempting to bring France more into the globalized neoliberal consensus at a time when the ascent of populists throughout the West has raised the possibility that globalized neoliberalism may be on its way out (I wouldn't necessarily bet on that, but when systems collapse or are taken over, they often do so rapidly). It would be ironic in the extreme if France - the state, not necessarily the public - were to embrace neoliberalism just as it begins to decline.
It's also interesting (at least to me) that all this upheaval has not resulted in the rejuvenation of the French left. It still feels like a spent force. If Macron is going to receive a serious electoral challenge in a couple of years, my bet is it comes from the right (it's kind of gobsmacking that of all the major Western nations, the one with the most energized left at the moment is the United States. Did not see that coming!).
5
@Vin
You are mistaking the "most energized left" in the United States (represented by Bernie's temporary ascendency, I assume) as merely a result of the moderate/center left being split up between about five other candidates. Thus Bernie looks like a leader of a "movement." However, If you add up the percentage of support for the more moderate democrats, it eclipses Bernie's. You also have Republican registering as independents to vote for Bernie in the open primaries (New Hampshire, upcoming SC) because Trump wants Bernie as the candidate. There is no substantial working class or middle class revolt brewing in in the US except in Bernie's dream state and there never will be. Aggrieved working class mostly voted for Trump and not for Bernie in 2016 because he blamed their problems on people of color and immigrants and that sounded right to them. Although to their detriment, they did not and will not blame corporate America, no matter how much they feel "left behind."
3
@Rob I didn't mean to make my comment about American politics on an article about France, but I think you're off the mark. Fact remains that Sanders is the Dem front runner in the USA, and I'd wager he will be the nominee. And even if I lost that bet, the Democratic party has slid to the left considerably in the past few years, much of it driven by the rise of Sanders. The left in major European countries right now is either disorganized, ossified (I'd say that's probably the best way to describe the left in France), or licking its wounds. Not the case in the USA. Whether or not that translates into electoral victory remains to be seen.
6
The French have righteous indignation to spare. In the sixties they protested to overturn the system, now they protest to keep it shrink-wrapped despite a world in flux. It did not work for language and it won't work in politics.
10
@Realworld "It did not work for language and it won't work in politics."
I think that, from the French people's point of view, it worked then and it's working now. This is how they have always done these things.
The French demonstrate (riot) when unemployment is too high; they demonstrate (riot) when it's significantly lower.
As a matter of mere governance, it is necessary to ignore both, because you cannot please either.
3
Piketty on the wealth tax (in response to Macron)
In an interview with the French magazine L’Obs, Piketty called for a graduated wealth tax of 5% on those worth 2 million euros or more and up to 90% on those worth more than 2 billion euros.
“Entrepreneurs will have millions or tens of millions,” he said. “But beyond that, those who have hundreds of millions or billions will have to share with shareholders, who could be employees. So no, there won’t be billionaires anymore. How can we justify that their existence is necessary for the common good? Contrary to what is often said, their enrichment was obtained thanks to these collective goods, which are the public knowledge, the infrastructures, the laboratories of research.”
Piketty added that the notion that billionaires create jobs and boost growth is false.
He said per capita income growth was 2.2% a year in the U.S. between 1950 and 1990. But when the number of billionaires exploded in the 1990s and 2000s — growing from about 100 in 1990 to around 600 today — per capita income growth fell to 1.1%.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/12/billionaires-should-be-taxed-out-of-existence-says-thomas-piketty.html
10
Macron shares the French political disease of trying to impose policies from above without bringing all factions for consultation before proceeding. The consequence is that all change, for good or worse, is fiercely resisted. The only reason he manages to put through some policies is that the opposition is incoherent, it offers nothing in return that could bring positive change.
2
@Serban well, it sounds familiar to me!
@Serban , Please note that everyone agrees that Macron's presidency is now in its Act II.
Everything changed when he, as M Le President on national TV, told the gilets jaunes=yellow vests "Vous avez raison.= You're right."
Later, he met with virtually all of the nearly 5000 mayors (in groups) who are now up for election. One of those encounters lasted about 6 hours.
Macron is different.
5
It’s invariably true that when all the vested interests are lined up against a reform minded political leader that he/she is doing something that needs to be done. The French economy has long been strangled by historical entitlements secured by its aggressive unions. Pension reform and removal of many job entitlements will loosen the unions’ solid grip and liberate the many markets where job creation has been non-existent.. It’s pretty sad when an 8.1 unemployment rate is heralded as a real breakthrough when it would be barely tolerated here in the U.S. Mr. Nossiter’s underlying bias is unfortunately evident in asserting that France had achieved an “egalitarianism” solid enough to withstand the “crude populism and demagogy that has overtaken its western allies,” referring I imagine to Britain and the U.S., though nothing further is reported.
6
Maybe they hate him because he’s effective? They are French people, after all.
26
France has been a massive example of national hypocrisy and entitlement on every level since their revolution. Over the years since that revolution they have also managed to be a parasitical and destructive force in the lives of any number of other countries the world over. They are now reaping the whirlwind of leaving their principles of freedom at the barricades all for a life of guaranteed mediocrity.
10
@Tony Francis
Lived and living in France...
OOOAAHH! Ease up...
France still retains excellent healthcare, social support for families, extensive vacation periods, university access practically tuition free...and an inbuilt, untamed revolutionary strain taking it onto the streets...
They voted in Macron and his party in response to the inertia and same as always politics of the "Republicains"and les gauches...
The French know and fear the necessary changes.
To fall back on the past or to confront the future...
offered by Macron and voted in...to the accompanying
hymn of the European Union...
He is the president who announced at his inauguration:
"Five years to do what I propose"and no added political
tenure.
He is "sui generis"
6
I have lived off and on in France for the last five decades.
I cannot recall any French President who, after being elected as a conquering hero, was not almost immediately loathed by a significant percentage of voters.
And then comes the ultimate French touch: a unique, hilarious and delightfully vicious nick-name.
24
If Macron is despised by so many, how is he favored to win re-election? Unorganized opposition? The article does not explain.
5
Lazy socialism has held France back for decades creating working poor who can barely afford to pay their bills. France can't afford to continue to pay overly generous pensions and need to deregulate the labor market so employers can fire workers if France wants to compete in the global economy.
10
@Josep We might have working poor, but so does America. At least our working poor get decent healthcare. Can you say the same in the US?
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@Joseph B
Easy on the "working poor"who have healthcare, social housing stipends and more.
Yes, Macron's program, announced in the campaign before the election made clear that changes were proposed in detail and he would not "deflate"as previous party programs always have.
Note: Macron speaks fluent English and knows the international actors of importance.
Keep watching him.
7
@Anne Well Cuba has government healthcare, so did the Soviet Union, of course everyone was equally poor, see the same in France, most people are struggling to make a living.
1
Interesting article, but it would have benefited from some statistical data and info from opinion polls etc comparing Macron's unpopularity - and resistance to his policies - to that of other Presidents. I've lived here long enough to see the same reaction to two other Presidents: Sarkozy and Hollande. Both were "despised" and faced protests. This is one of the many paradoxes of the French, if you'll allow the generalisation, they look towards the President to represent so many things (as a new version of the King) but then very quickly turn against him, with a vengeance. This is not to say that the transport strikes and Gilets Jaunes protests have not been more extreme than earlier protests, but they're not completely unexpected either.
19
I've lived in France, and I am a French citizen despite living now in the US. Both countries have wonderful and bad aspects. One aspect of French culture: protest is highly regarded and admired. If there's not an obvious target at hand, a suitable one must be and is easily created. Demonstrating in the street is as important to the French psyche as idling in cafes, talking with your friends about everything and nothing. The two together make for a perfect day. Just typing this comment makes me homesick.
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@Chris Noble
I know whereof you speak.
You have so well characterised it.
Bonne continuation!
10
In reply to Macron who writes
"Macron
France2h ago
@Woof As I understand it Piketty has acknowledged that a small country like France cannot put in a wealth tax if competing countries do not have one, without reducing investment and increasing the country's unemployment."
Have a look at Switzerland, a smaller country than France, with whom it has a common border
OECD data shows that the Swiss wealth taxes made up 3.6% of all Swiss tax revenue in 2017, and it's been above 3% since 2000.
Has it had a detrimental effect on employment, as you claim?
Unemployment, Jan 2020
Switzerland 2.6&
France 8.1%
Switzerland
France
3
@Woof Yes but Switzerland in not in the EU.
A billionaire like Arnault could just move from France to Belgium and continue to conduct his business like nothing happened, because of the four EU freedoms.
It would be like Maryland creating a wealth tax. It doesn't work at that level.
The US is in a fantastic position to create one on the other hand with its unique worldwide taxation system and enforced foreign bank transparency which we have Obama to thank for and it wouldn't hurt Bernie to acknowledge that. If we don't do it now, it's just a matter of time before Republicans do away with citizenship-based taxation as they feel the risk of the progressive movement.
Then the rich can fly back and forth from their Caribbean islands and pay no taxes in the US at all.
4
@Woof Switzerland is also the country that lets the 'wealthy' negotiate how much they pay in income tax, so I would not be so proud of a 'wealth tax'.
The world's working people need an international treaty that gives all workers the protections enjoyed by the French. That way international competition would not drive France or any country to abandon worker protections.
5
Macron, the saviour of Europe. A politician with a clear vision and strategy for national recovery unlike say Johnson in the UK who is all guff and slogans.
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@O’Brien
Agreed! And wonderfully proceeding in the face of failed politicians and politics.
France is privileged to have Macron.
Attacking him at their peril.
Vas-y Emmanuel!
5
There is nothing revolutionary about Macron's program. It's the same old business friendly (I have nothing against business, I used to help run one in France), destroy the social safety-net , untax the rich and then wait for the trickle down effect, that has produced record breaking inequality and poverty in so many other countries. No wonder the French are mad. And the way it's being pushed through just makes them madder. Instead of discussing and convincing his own House of Deputies, this government is going to invoke an article of the constitution called the 49-3, that allows them to bypass the debate which Macron finds is taking too long, forcing the Deputies to accept the project or vote the government down, triggering new elections. How's that for democracy for you? This pension project will allow the total amount spent on pensions to go down. The minimum pension will be a generous €1000/month (a sum I suspect wouldn't buy a new suit for Macron and most of his cabinet), and there will be generous numbers of French people reduced to that, especially women. And all this comes after the unemployment system was downsized in 2019, making payments harder to access for the most precarious of badly-paid, intermittent workers. Why wouldn't we be mad?
11
The new pension system was much needed !
We were being too generous on a lot of aspects, and now President Macron is lifting France.
26
@Margaret I agree with everything you say, Margaret. Once again, the government pulls the wool over our eyes (or rather, jeter de la poudre aux yeux (throws powder in our eyes). Once again, it's give with one hand and take away with the other. We will not be duped!
6
Lifting rich French. And giving food to starving people when you have plenty isn't generous, it's called sharing. Don't like France? Move to the USA, no benefits or affordable healthcare and education here. And plan on buying an SUV, we also have a generous number of potholes, and nearly no public transportation. But I assume you are too proud to take advantage of the subsidized healthcare and educational system, and as Americans do, you call an Uber, not the SAMU. Good for you!
6
I don't pretend to understand all the issues covered in this article but I do read about his reforms, the protests, and the impact, as often as I can. From my business/economics/accounting background, what he is doing makes sense. What is more significant than that is the strength of his leadership skills in the face of enormous pressure. You have to admire his focus and commitment.
The US is a dumpster fire specifically because there is no leadership, in either party. Trump simply took advantage of the chaos and played people against each other. Obama was a smart, good man and fantastic campaigner, but he was not a good leader.
I can only wait until after 2020, for things to really hit bottom, and hope that a true leader will emerge. I was a Kasich supporter in 2016 and now support Buttigieg. Smarts, leadership skills, and a willingness to work with other to accomplish goals are my highest priorities. Unfortunately, US voters are easily manipulated and nobody has stepped up with Obama-level campaigning coupled with real leadership and commitment to the country first.
20
@David
Macron is young. Speaks fluent English(the access to the all-important economic world view). Has political skills and
intelligence. Knows EU.
Has endurance in the pursuit of France and EU matters.
I like.
3
@David, as an aside, I would love to see Pete as President sitting down for a high level political meeting with Macron, conducted entirely in French and with no interpreters. Yes, Macron speaks perfect English, but Pete speaks perfect French, and I would very much like to see it in action. Two young, hyper intelligent, super well informed, energetic, forward thinking world leaders. It would be awesome. Fingers crossed, can’t wait!!!
3
Very disappointing article. What has Macron actually done (other than attempting pension reform)? I am none the wiser. There is some movement in the unemployment rate noted, but what is the connection to policy? There is much about unrest but I do not have any explanation other than pension reform. Is that it?
I guess I will have to read the Economist to get some useful information.
13
Why does this article only refer to the pension reform but not actually explain what it is other than “merging 41 into 1”? This is a very base description and leaves the reader with absolutely no context as to why the population is in arms over the plan. I have read the entire thing and only know that many French don’t like Macron over this issue, but not *why*. What is the purpose of an article without that question being asked, acknowledged, or explained?
29
Last week an old Dutch woman told me in London "Macron thinks he's the Emperor". And yes, he's strutting as if he were a French Emperor. The first two French Emperors, both called Napoleon, were at the front of historical change. Napoleon Bonaparte washed away the almighty Monarchs in a tide of Nationalism; Napoleon III industrialized the economy to enjoy the spoils of Colonialism. But this 'emperor' is hardly in the vanguard of history. He's turning French society away from 'eqalite' and 'solidarite' towards the Anglo/American ideology of winners and losers-- a 40 year old trend first championed by Reagan and Thatcher, and one which many French have always disdained. This young, arrogant banker was bound to meet massive resistance. It remains to be seen if he'll have the success the previous French 'emperors' did, and if he'll meet a similar end.
5
MACRON may be what is needed to save the French from themselves, but his foreign is a shambles. His own unique form of Euro-supremacism will never work. Does anyone remember his ludicrous idea about a European army to replace the USA? What a joke. The French cannot and will not ever fight another war - the same with Europe. The only hope of defeating him is, I fear the Right/Far Right -- and that is still very much of a work in progress. Ultimately, Macron will FAIL because his trust in EU styled rule cannot work in the long term.
1
@Mike
Sir, your words: “cannot and will not ever fight another war” where is you source?
Here is an interesting article:
https://www.defense.gouv.fr/content/download/565206/9743400/CCles+2019-UK.+02+08+19.pdf
Page 24: 30,000 French soldiers currently deployed, including 18’000 worldwide.
Best wishes
3
@Lone Ranger , And that doesn't include the Foreign Legion, who are not *French* soldiers.
i would love to know how France calculates it's unemployment rates relative to the way the US does. if anyone knows ???
4
he's got a great tailor. really sharp suit he's got on there. good for him.
5
Incredible how the French hate someone who is actually trying to fix things. Those who despise him deserve a glad handing politician who does nothing. They are like passengers on a sinking lifeboat, upset at the one who keeps splashing them with water as he bails the craft. For my part, even though all around me disagree, I think he’s the best thing to happen in France for a long time.
59
@Smitty He is trying to fix things for his rich friends all the while pretending to do it for the country and the people.
1
@Anne, your young people cannot get a permanent job, CDI, because it is so hard for employers to reduce staff when necessary (aller chez les Prud’hommes) that all les jeunes can do is go from one CDD to another, working an endless fil of temporary jobs, with no end in sight. Macron’s reforms are changing that. Unemployment, especially for the young, is down, and more and more of them are getting long term contracts, CDI. How is this only benefitting the rich? It’s benefitting tout le monde.
5
@Anne: you must be mixing up with Sarkozy!
;-)
Macron is indeed fixing things (trying to at least).
But it is 3 decades late at least!
And consequently parts of the french society by now lack the resilience and trust to envision ANY reform and change positively.
4
France is the only country that has a national strike website.
This has been "The French Way" for too long.
10
Much better than 'right to work,' or more accurately 'right to be exploited.' Michigan is supposed to be doing so great with very low unemployment, and yet it is obvious a great many people are destitute. Trailer parks and crumbling homes, high level of hunger among children, there are telltale signs that things aren't as good in reality as on paper. Add to that the concerning condition of the infrastructure, and you really wonder what the figures really tell you about the economic situation of a given country.
12
@Marie so true. Lately, it seems that a thriving economy equates a majority of struggling people. How did we come to accept that stock markets reflect a society (un)happiness?
5
@Anne: again, you should travel, elsewhere in or near Europe for example, not all thriving economies rely on shameless exploitation. There is also a working model based on pragmatism, political and social responsibility and, yes, good "old" social values like repartition AND work.
BTW, I am not trying to deny that the " unbriddled exploitation " model really does exists and that it is quite a cancer, indeed.
1
When Bernie loses to Trump, and in the process puts a Republican majority back in the House, you can expect a similar crash in parties (like the Libs in the UK as well). Dems will wander the wilderness, their only unifying principle being their hatred for Trump; but without impeachment recourse. And President Trump will reign supreme.
Would be nice if MB would pay me $2500 ($3000 CDN) for this message. But alas, it is offered for free.
2
I imagine the Yellow Vests would be less inclined to set up picket lines had Macron’s government not repealed the wealth tax on assets above €1.3m recently. Tightening the economic belt works better if both ends are tugged on with equal vigor.
20
Macron did not repeal the wealth tax. This was and is still maintained on non-productive assets (houses, flats) but was removed on productive investments in businesses to support creation of jobs and economic value by entrepreneurs.
19
An excellent piece.
France is vastly different from the US.
A wealth tax doesn’t work on a country level in the EU because the rich can just move to the country next door. Billionaire Arnault nearly moved from France to Belgium. We, by contrast, have citizenship-based taxation and FATCA.
Macron is pushing the same policies that have worked before for countries like pioneer Germany (Hartz), the Netherlands, more recently Spain, Portugal and it’s starting to work now in France too.
We need to find that golden center too, where reasonable growth (not at any cost), full employment, great infrastructure and public services meet.
It’s left of us and Bernie will take us there if we let him.
49
@Liz not an excellent piece. It is entirely about how much the French hate him, with a couple of throw-away lines about how his proposed legislation will pass and he’ll likely get re-elected. Clearly there are those, apparently a majority, who like Macron if he would likely be re-elected, but not a word about or from them.
1
From the blog of Thomas Piketty, author of capital in the 20th’s century , 12/12/2017
12 DÉCEMBRE 2017 PAR PIKETTY
Trump, Macron: same fight
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, notably the wealth tax will be abolished for the largest financial and business wealth holders)
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. In each case the argument is presumed to be irrefutable;.. we have no other option than to treat the rich with respect, otherwise the rich will up and leave the country and they will no longer be able to share in their benefits (jobs, investments and other wonderful ideas which ordinary people cannot easily access).
16
@Woof As I understand it Piketty has acknowledged that a small country like France cannot put in a wealth tax if competing countries do not have one, without reducing investment and increasing the country's unemployment.
10
We simply can’t as French citizens will go to Luxembourg.
2
@Woof
Piketty is wrong. Macron and Trump tax reforms have nothing in commun. In the US, ultra-rich people pay less taxes (proportionally) than the lower middle-class and there is no wealth tax. In France, the higher your income, the higher your taxes and there is a wealth tax...
8