Macron, Emperor of the French

By Henry Srebrnik, [Saint John, N.B.] Telegraph-Journal

 

French President Emmanuel Macron cuts a dashing figure on the international stage. He’s the golden boy of the liberal media.

He called for the defence of European liberal democracy, which he described as “unique in the world,” in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on April 17.

He wants Europeans to create a special finance minister for the Euro-zone countries. He also wants them to set up a mechanism to support ailing national economies, and to boost European defence and security policy.

On the sensitive subject of immigration, Macron proposed setting up an EU fund to help communities that agree to welcome refugees.

Back home, though, anti-Macron sentiment is growing. For many, it has become increasingly clear that in the year since being elected president, he has developed a Napoleon complex and thinks he’s the emperor of France. 

A wave of strikes and demonstrations has crippled France, as opposition grows to Macron’s economic policies, including plans to reform public services and slash jobs. 

Railway workers are staging two-day strikes every three days, trying to force the government to give up an overhaul of the national railway company.

Some French universities have been occupied by radical leftist and anarchist students. There is rising discontent among the staffs of public hospitals and nursing homes affected by budget cuts. Angry pensioners feel unfairly targeted by taxes.

Tens of thousands of people gathered across France on May 5 to rally against Macron.  There were images of Macron as the Emperor Napoleon, Dracula and Jupiter to represent their opinion of the French president.

On the far right and left, Rassemblement National leader Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, head of La France Insoumise (France Unbowed), are accusing the government of planning the full privatisation of the railways at the behest of the European Union. 

They are playing on fears that Macron’s reforms presage the end of the French welfare system. France spends more on social security than any other EU country -- 34.3 per cent of GDP compared to the EU average of 28.7 per cent.

Macron faced a grilling over his unpopular economic reforms by two veteran journalists, Edwy Plenel of the investigative website Mediapart and Jean-Jacques Bourdin of Radio Monte Carlo, in a television interview on April 15.

“In every area, there is discontent,” Plenel told Macron, during the 2 ½ hour exchange. The president was repeatedly attacked over his pro-business economic policy which has earned him the nickname “president of the rich” among opponents.

When Macron, who was visibly angered, sought to defend his policies, he was accused of being arrogant. “You are not the teacher and we are not the students!” Plenel admonished the president. 

But that’s exactly what Macron thinks he is. And he will continue browbeating the French until they fall into line – after all, that’s what Napoleon used to do.