No to “defeatism”, make way for “lucid optimism”, these are the words of the head of state who assured Tuesday that he would not change “course” despite the “storms”.
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Captain courage holding the helm in the storm. It’s a great classic in politics, the image is even a little hackneyed, but visibly, the President of the Republic was eager to bring it out again. The setting lent itself to this: the Sea Economy Conference meeting in Nantes and an assembly of fishermen. In the absence of originality, Emmanuel Macron spoke at length about the marine metaphor: “We come from the rivers and we go to the sea, to the open sea, that’s the History of France!” declared the head of state. A cry from the heart which initially resonates as a call to order from his own troops.
Doubt wins over the majority. For several weeks, many have judged the five-year term to be becalmed, without breath or compass, lacking in reforms. What important texts after the marathon devoted to immigration? Mystery… The head of state’s procrastination on certain subjects, for example during the march against anti-Semitism, has increased unease in the ranks of the majority. At the same time, the far right is leading the polls for the European elections in June. As a result, speculation about the future of Élisabeth Borne is starting again, the government is buzzing with rumors of a reshuffle and heavyweights like Gérald Darmanin, Bruno Le Maire or Gabriel Attal are suspected of already having their minds set on 2027, so post-Macron.
Can the head of state regain control?
Emmanuel Macron’s problem is that he ushers in the status of head of state who cannot run for office again. Many therefore already see him as an early retiree. So, Emmanuel Macron repeated on Tuesday November 28 that he will stay the course “until the last centimeter”. At a time when the economic situation is getting darker, he is urging his ministers to work on new reforms to win the battle for full employment. But the government ship could experience new water leaks in the coming days. For example, if the Minister of Justice Éric Dupont-Moretti was convicted on Tuesday for illegal taking of interests by the Court of Justice of the Republic. Or if the Standard and Poors rating agency downgrades France’s financial rating on Friday. In short, the head of state may well claim “the courage and will of sailors” to weather storms and “return to port”he has probably not finished suffering.
