Macron: Napoloena And Bliar Rolled Into One?

[youngmafbog]

Seems now the honeymoon period is over the French are not so enamoured with Macron who seemingly cares more about himself and his ego than the French economy.

Will the French accept this or will we see them take to the streets given they (the French) do have a penchant for that sort of thing?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4755588/Macron-cares-publicity-saving-economy.html

[Gromit]

He has introduced austerity measures (something that has been rammed down our throats for a decade), so his popularity is bound to nosedive. We were told that austerity would be good for the economy, are you now saying Macron's cuts to benefits and spending is harming the French economy, a mere few weeks into his Presidency ?

[Khandro]

He is a complete phoney, can you imagine the hubris of dressing up in all that military gear and inviting press photographers without ever having done military service, what a plonker.

[Garaman]

Here is another plonker.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-speech-military-outfit-criticism-veterans-us-navy-a7609471.html

[New Judge]

"We were told that austerity would be good for the economy,..."

We might find out one day, if there ever is any "austerity" that is.

M. Macron will soon find out that it matters not one iota who he is, what policies he adopts and tries to implement or how he tries to do it. The trade unions control such matters in France - always have, always will. If they don't like something they will simply take to the streets and start burning piles of tyres or they will get in their boats and chain themselves together across the entrance to Calais harbour (depending which among their numbers are having their inalienable rights to do as they please threatened).

[cassa333]

I see him trying to emulate Vladimir Putin.

All action hero sort of thing.

[jourdain2]

Macron got into power on a very small percentage vote of the whole electorate. There is a city/rest of country split in France as there is here. Their only option was the FN, which the opposition could not bring themselves to vote for, so they abstained. This is my reading, anyway - aided by comments from friends and ex-neighbours.

He was rubbish when he was part of government (I lived there then and read the papers) and people remember that. France desperately needs reforming regarding its beaurocracy etc., but he isn't popular enough to swing it. There will be piles of bovine excrement blocking roads and entrances to Mairies etc. plus the2-km per hour tractors blocking the autoroutes. In other words, yes there will be huge public protests.

As an aside, did anyone else pick up on the fact that he has just nationalised Saint Azaire shipyard to stop it being bought by the Italians - 'Free trade? Non, Non, Non!'.

[Garaman]

I don't think you can call around 20.7 million out of around 47 million total electorate very small, it is more than both Holland and Sarkozy before him. The Tory party only got around 13.7 million and we have a similar total electorate.

The election system in France always results in abstentions and votes against rather than for candidates. Someone once said that in the first round you vote for who you want, and in the second you vote against who you fear.

[jourdain2]

It's still an awful lot of people who oppose/couldn't support him, Garaman. Having lived there for so long, I understand that the French are still very much prepared to offer direct, practical opposition.
You are quite correct in your summation of 1st and 2nd round voting habits. Interesting that so many feared Macron so much/preferred Le Pen, but just couldn't do it. I'd expected a much bigger swing.

[Gromit]

// A row erupted on Monday after the government announced it was going to cut a particular type of housing benefit by five euros a month in a move affecting millions of French people – including many living below the poverty line.
More than 800,000 of those affected were students, causing students’ unions to demand the government “instantly withdraw” the plans. Disgruntlement among students is a thorny issue because the government is seeking to avoid students joining potential protests against Macron’s proposed changes to labour laws this autumn. //

The cuts he is instigating are unpopular, so of course his own popularity rating will go down as a result.

[ichkeria]

Macron is bound to become unpopular as he tries to reform the French economy - it happens to every Frennch president.
He is easy to satirise: young, very talented, allegedly quite arrogant and not a glad sufferer of fools.
But he was by far and away the best option available: once whats-his-name the Republican candidate of the right vanished in a puff of scandal he was always odds-on to win. He has already achieved something rather amazing by sweeping away France's old parties and virtually starting again with a series of novice deputies, and he;s not been slow to banish anyone he considers tainted with corruption.
I wish him all the best.