“A bit of Jupiter”, “smooth talker”, “blah blah”… Emmanuel Macron’s press conference divides the political class

The Head of State addressed a number of themes on Tuesday in order to “rearm France”. His introductory remarks as well as his responses to journalists during his press conference did not fail to provoke a reaction.

School, security, economy, birth rate… The President of the Republic, who spoke for more than two hours on Tuesday January 16, outlined the main axes of the new government of Gabriel Attal and the rest of his five-year term. His press conference provoked reactions within the political class, from the far right to the far left, including the majority.

The president’s speech defended by the majority

Renaissance MP from the North Violette Spillebout found it “determined and honest”. On franceinfo, she defended the presidential speech, believing that the head of state had promoted “a stronger France, a fairer France”, using the exact words of Emmanuel Macron. “It’s not just (Tuesday) evening the meeting with the nation”comments Céline Calvez, Renaissance MP for Hauts-de-Seine, who believes that the French must “meet around rituals” or even “common values”.

“The president remade a bit of Jupiter because he also needed a presidential direction”estimates Modem deputy for Loiret Richard Ramos on franceinfo. “Now it’s a matter of knowing how it’s done and with whom? I think it’s with Parliament that we need to do it. I wasn’t served (Tuesday) evening, he also regrets. For the MoDem deputy, the fight of 2027 opens (Tuesday) evening with a fight against the ideas of the National Rally”. According to him, “it’s very relevant, it’s a good thing, but it can’t be done without parliamentarians”.

For LR, an unclear president who borrows his ideas from the right

The right is not convinced. For Bruno Retailleau, “the big meeting with the nation gives rise to a small declaration of good intentions.” “No new ideas, no deep rupture. The impression that we have already witnessed the same speech 100 times since 2017. Obviously, ‘regeneration’ will wait”, points the boss of LR senators on. “It was only an appointment with himself, castigated the president of the Republicans Éric Ciotti, for whom the President of the Republic has drawn up a list of wishful thinking, with which it is difficult to disagree, but the ambitions are as monumental as the announcements are modest. he adds.

“The opposite of a cape”reacts for his part Olivier Marleix, the president of the LR group in the National Assembly, on X. “A catalog, with a president who gets lost in the details. All the words, all the ideas in the spirit of the times summoned for the duration of a speech. Incapable of making choices on what is essential”he emphasizes. “Free energies, protect the French, unite the Nation. So that France remains France”lists the president of the Young Republicans, Guilhem Carayon, for whom: “Emmanuel Macron speaks like the right, he acts like the left.”

The left not convinced

“It’s a joke that no longer convinces many people,” judge on franceinfo Aurélie Trouvé, La France insoumise MP for Seine-Saint-Denis. “Each speech by the president is a way of widening the distance a little further between those who govern and the people quite simply”continues the elected official. “Minister of everything, president of nothing”comments for his part the rebellious François Ruffin on X.

The rebellious Clémentine Autain and the ecologist Marine Tondelier both point out the aspect “reactionary” from Emmanuel Macron’s speech. “Flippy, really. And cheesy”adds the national secretary of EELV.

For Fabien Roussel, “mass has been said !” because “Electricity bills will increase, drug prices will increase, but salaries will not increase!”writes the communist on “Brief”, to summarize the president’s speech.

“Nothing is settled” for the far right

For Marine Le Pen, “the great meeting with the nation has transformed into yet another endless chatter”. “The substance and the tone are not at the level of a President of the Republic”, adds on X the leader of the National Rally deputies.

“Emmanuel Macron comments, he continues the issues in which he wants to be the smooth talker of French decline, believes the president of the National Rally Jordan Bardella. His interventions are repeated without the French seeing any changes in their daily lives.”

Philippe Ballard, spokesperson for the RN, deputy for Oise, denounces on franceinfo the“self-satisfaction” of the head of state. “On the Marseillaise at school, the uniform, civic education, we say bravo because in fact we see that all our measures are taken up over the years”but “the French prefer the original to the copy”assures Philippe Ballard.

For Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, the “rconcrete result of this great theater: Doubling of the exemption for medicines, 10% increase in the price of electricity and maintenance of so-called ecological constraints on transport and housing… A project that is ever more unfair for the French!” estimates the former presidential candidate from Debout la France on X.