Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron(French:[emanɥɛlmakʁɔ̃]; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served asPresident of Francesince 2017. He previously wasMinister of Economics, Industry and Digital Affairsunder PresidentFrançois Hollandefrom 2014 to 2016 and deputy secretary-general to the president from 2012 to 2014. He has been a member ofRenaissancesince he founded it in 2016.
Born inAmiens, Macron studied philosophy atParis Nanterre University. He completed a master's degree in public affairs atSciences Poand graduated from theÉcole nationale d'administrationin 2004. He worked as a senior civil servant at theInspectorate General of Financesand as aninvestment bankeratRothschild & Co. AppointedÉlyséedeputy secretary-general by President François Hollande shortly afterhis electionin May 2012, Macron was one of Hollande's senior advisers. Appointed Minister of Economics, Industry and Digital Affairs in August 2014 in thesecond Valls government, he led a number of business-friendly reforms. He resigned in August 2016, in order to launch his 2017 presidential campaign. A member of theSocialist Partyfrom 2006 to 2009, he ran in the election under the banner ofEn Marche, acentristandpro-Europeanpolitical movement he founded in April 2016.
Partly as a result of theFillon affairwhich sank theRepublicannomineeFrançois Fillon's chances, Macron topped the ballot in the first round of voting, and waselectedPresident of France on 7 May 2017 with 66.1% of the vote in the second round, defeatingMarine Le Penof theNational Front. At the age of 39, he became the youngest president in French history. In the2017 legislative electionin June, his party, renamed La République En Marche! (LREM), secured a majority in theNational Assembly. Macron was elected to a second term in the2022 presidential election, again defeating Le Pen, thus becoming the first French presidential candidate to win reelection sinceJacques ChiracdefeatedJean-Marie Le Penin2002. Hiscentrist coalitionlost its absolute majority in the2022 legislative election, resulting in ahung parliamentand the formation of France's firstminority governmentsince the fall of theBérégovoygovernment in1993. In early 2024, Macron appointedGabriel Attalas Prime Minister, youngest head of government in French history and first openly gay man to hold the office, to replaceÉlisabeth Borne, the second female Prime Minister of France, after amajor government crisis. Following crushing defeat at the2024 European Parliament elections, Macron dissolved theNational Assemblyand called for asnap legislative electionwhich resulted in another hung parliament and electoral defeat for his ruling coalition. It was only the third time in the French Republic's history that a president lost an election he called of his own initiative. 59 days after the election, Macron appointedMichel Barnier, aconservativepolitical figure and former chiefBrexitnegotiator, as Prime Minister. Only three months into his tenure, Barnier was toppled by ahistoric vote of no confidence, prompting Macron to replace him with former minister and Christian Democratic veteranFrançois Bayrou.
During hispresidency, Macron has overseen several reforms tolabour laws,taxation, andpensions; and has pursued arenewable energy transition. Dubbed "president of the rich" by political opponents, increasingprotestsagainst his domestic reforms and demanding his resignation marked the first years of his presidency, culminating in 2018–2020 with theyellow vests protestsand thepension reform strike. In foreign policy, he called for reforms to theEuropean Union(EU) and signed bilateral treaties withItalyandGermany. Macron conducted €40 billion in trade and business agreements with China during theChina–United States trade warand oversaw a dispute with Australia and the United States over theAUKUSsecurity pact. From 2020, he led France's response to theCOVID-19 pandemicandvaccination rollout. In 2023, thegovernmentof his prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, passedlegislation raising the retirement age from 62 to 64; the pension reforms proved controversial and led topublic sector strikes and violent protests. He continuedOpération Chammalin thewar against the Islamic Stateand joined in theinternational condemnationof theRussian invasion of Ukraine.
Macron was born on 21 December 1977 inAmiens. He is the son of Françoise Macron (née Noguès), a physician, andJean-Michel Macron, professor ofneurologyat theUniversity of Picardy.The couple divorced in 2010. He has two siblings, Laurent, born in 1979, and Estelle, born in 1982. Françoise and Jean-Michel's first child was stillborn.
The Macron family legacy is traced back to the village ofAuthie,Picardy.One of his paternal great-grandfathers, George William Robertson, was English, and was born inBristol, United Kingdom.His maternal grandparents, Jean and Germaine Noguès (née Arribet), are from thePyreneantown ofBagnères-de-Bigorre,Gascony.He commonly visited Bagnères-de-Bigorre to visit his grandmother Germaine, whom he called "Manette".Macron associates his enjoyment of readingand his leftward political leanings to Germaine, who, after coming from a modest upbringing of a stationmaster father and a housekeeping mother, became a teacher and then a principal.
Although raised in a non-religious family, Macron was baptized aCatholicat his own request at age 12; he isagnostictoday.
Macron was educated mainly at the Jesuit instituteLycée la Providencein Amiensbefore his parents sent him to finish his last year of schoolat the eliteLycée Henri-IVin Paris, where he completed thehigh schoolcurriculum and theundergraduate programwith a "Bac S, Mention Très bien". At the same time, he was nominated for the "Concours général" (most selective national level high school competition) in French literature and received his diploma for his piano studies at Amiens Conservatory.His parents sent him to Paris due to their alarm at the bond he had formed withBrigitte Auzière, a married teacher with three children at Jésuites de la Providence, who later became his wife.
In Paris, Macron twice failed to gain entry to theÉcole normale supérieure.He instead studied philosophy at theUniversity of Paris-Ouest Nanterre La Défense, obtaining aDEAdegree (amaster level degree), with a thesis onMachiavelliandHegel.Around 1999 Macron worked as an editorial assistant toPaul Ricoeur, theFrench Protestantphilosopher who was then writing his last major work,La Mémoire, l'Histoire, l'Oubli. Macron worked mainly on the notes and bibliography.Macron became a member of the editorial board of the literary magazineEsprit.
Macron did not performnational servicebecause he was pursuing his graduate studies. Born in December 1977, he belonged to the last cohort for whom military service was mandatory.
Macron obtained amaster's degreeinpublic affairsatSciences Po, majoring in "Public Guidance and Economy" before training for a senior civil service career at the selectiveÉcole nationale d'administration(ENA), training at the French Embassy inNigeriaand at theprefectureofOisebefore graduating in 2004.
After graduating from ENA in 2004, Macron became an Inspector in theInspection générale des finances(IGF), a branch of theFinance Ministry.Macron was mentored byJean-Pierre Jouyet, the then-head of the IGF.During his time as an Inspector of Finances, Macron gave lectures during the summer at the "prep'ENA" (a special cram school for the ENA entrance examination) atIPESUP, an elite private school specializing in preparation for the entrance examinations of theGrandes écoles, such asHECor Sciences Po.
In 2006,Laurence Parisotoffered him the job of managing director forMouvement des Entreprises de France, the largestemployer federationin France, but he declined.
In August 2007, Macron was appointed deputy rapporteur forJacques Attali's "Commission to Unleash French Growth".In 2008, Macron paid €50,000 to buy himself out of his government contract.He then became an investment banker in a highly-paid position atRothschild & Cie Banque.In March 2010, he was appointed to the Attali Commission as a member.
In September 2008, Macron left his job as an Inspector of Finances and took a position atRothschild & Cie Banque.Macron left the government whenNicolas Sarkozybecame president. He was originally offered the job by François Henrot. His first responsibility at the bank was assisting with the acquisition ofCofidisbyCrédit MutuelNord Europe.
Macron formed a relationship withAlain Minc, a businessman on the supervisory board ofLe Monde.In 2010, Macron was promoted to partner with the bank after working on the recapitalization ofLe Mondeand the acquisition byAtosofSiemens IT Solutions and Services.In the same year, Macron was put in charge ofNestlé's acquisition of Pfizer's infant nutrition division for €9 billion, which made him a millionaire.
In February 2012, Macron advised businessmanPhilippe Tillous-Borde, the CEO of theAvril Group.
Macron reported that he had earned €2 million between December 2010 and May 2012.Official documents show that between 2009 and 2013, Macron had earned almost €3 million.He left Rothschild & Cie in 2012.
In his youth beginning in 1998, Macron worked for theCitizens' Movementfor two years, but he never applied to be a member.Macron was an assistant for MayorGeorges Sarreof the11th arrondissement of Parisduring his time at Sciences Po.Macron joined theSocialist Partyat the age of 24,but last renewed his membership for the period 2006–2009.
Macron metFrançois Hollandethrough Jean-Pierre Jouyet in 2006 and joined his staff in 2010.In 2007, Macron attempted to run for a seat in theNational Assemblyin Picardy under the Socialist Party label in the2007 legislative elections; however, his application was declined.Macron was offered the chance to be the deputy chief of staff to Prime MinisterFrançois Fillonin 2010, though he declined.
On 15 May 2012, Macron became the deputy secretary-general of theÉlysée, a senior role in President François Hollande's staff.Macron served withNicolas Revel. He served under the secretary-general,Pierre-René Lemas.
During the summer of 2012, Macron put forward a proposal that would increase the 35-hour work week to 37 hours until 2014. He also tried to hold back the large tax increases on the highest earners that were planned by the government. Hollande refused Macron's proposals.In 2013, his was one of the deciding votes against regulating the salaries ofCEOs.Nicolas Revel, the other deputy secretary-general of the Élysée opposed Macron on a proposed budget responsibility pact favoured by theMedef.
On 10 June 2014, it was announced that Macron had resigned from his role and was replaced byLaurence Boone.Reasons given for his departure included his disappointment at not being included in thefirst Government of Manuel Vallsand his frustration with his lack of influence on the reforms proposed by the government.This was following the appointment of Jean-Pierre Jouyet as chief of staff.
Jouyet said that Macron left to "continue personal aspirations"and create his own financial consultancy firm.It was later reported that he was planning to create an investment firm that would attempt to fund educational projects.Shortly afterwards he was hired as aresearch fellowat theUniversity of Berlinwith the help of businessman Alain Minc. He had also sought a position atHarvard University.
Offered a chance to be a candidate in the municipal elections in 2014 in his hometown of Amiens, Macron declined,leading François Hollande to reject Manuel Valls's idea of appointing him Budget Minister, as he had never been elected to public office.
He was appointed as the Minister of Economics and Industry in the secondValls Cabineton 26 August 2014, replacingArnaud Montebourg.He was the youngest Minister of Economics sinceValéry Giscard d'Estaingin 1962.Macron was branded by the media as the "Anti-Montebourg" due to being pro-EU and much more liberal, while Montebourg waseuroscepticand left-wing.As Minister of Economics, Macron was at the forefront of pushing through business-friendly reforms. On 17 February 2015, prime ministerManuel Vallspushed Macron's signature law package through a reluctant parliament using the special49.3 procedure.
Macron increased the French share in the companyRenaultfrom 15% to 20% and then enforced theFlorange lawwhich grants double voting rights on shares registered for more than two years unless two-thirds of shareholders vote to overturn it.This gave the French state a minority share in the company though Macron later stated that the government would limit its powers within Renault.
Macron was widely criticized for being unable to prevent the closing down of an Ecopla factory inIsère.
In August 2015, Macron said that he was no longer a member of the Socialist Party and was an independent.
A law which had originally been sponsored byArnaud Montebourgbefore he left the government, and which had focused on "purchasing power", grew into theMacron law[fr], a grab bag of measures liberalizing laws prohibiting work on Sunday and at night; restrictions on coaches for public transportation; regulations for debt collectors, barristers and auctioneers; and rules governing the rental of equipment by the military from private companies. The law also sought to simplify many government procedures, such as that for obtaining a driving licence.Manuel Valls, fearing that it would not pass in the National Assembly, decided to push the law through with the 49.3 procedureand so it was adopted on 10 April 2015.
Estimates of the increase in GDP the law might generate ranged from 0.3% to 0.5%.
Macron first became known to the French public after his appearance on the French TV programmeDes Paroles Et Des Actesin March 2015.Before forming his political partyEn Marche!, he gave a number of speeches, his first one in March 2015 inVal-de-Marne.He threatened to leave Manuel Valls'second governmentover the proposed removal of dual-nationality from terrorists.He also took various foreign trips, including one to Israel where he spoke on the advancement of digital technology.
Tensions around the question of Macron's loyalty to the Valls government and Hollande increased when they turned down a bill he put forward dubbed "Macron 2", which had a larger scope than his original law.Macron was given the chance to help draft into theEl Khomri lawand put specific parts of "Macron 2" into the law though El Khomri was able to overturn these with the help of other ministers.
Amid tensions and deterioration of relations with the current government, Macron founded an independent political party, En Marche, in Amiens on 6 April 2016.Asocial-liberal,progressivepolitical movement that gathered huge media coverage when it was first established,the party and Macron were both reprimanded by President Hollande and the question of Macron's loyalty to the government was raised.Several MEPs spoke out in support for the movementthough the majority of the Socialist Party spoke against En Marche includingManuel Valls,Michel Sapin,Axelle LemaireandChristian Eckert.
In June 2016, support for Macron and his movement, En Marche, began to grow in the media withLibérationreporting thatL'Express,Les Échos,Le 1[fr], andL'Opinionhad begun to support him.Following several controversies surrounding trade unionists and their protests,Acrimed[fr]reported that major newspapers began to run front-page stories about Macron and En Marche.Criticized by both the far-left and the far-right, these pro-Macron influencers in the press were dubbed "Macronites".
In May 2016,OrleansmayorOlivier Carréinvited Macron to the festival commemorating the 587th anniversary ofJoan of Arc's efforts during theSiege of Orléans.LCIreported that Macron was trying to take back the symbol of Joan of Arc from the far-right.Macron later went toPuy du Fouand declared he was "not a socialist" in a speech amid rumours he was going to leave the current government.On 30 August 2016, Macron resigned from the government ahead of the2017 presidential election,to devote himself to his En Marche movement.There had been rising tensions and several reports that he had wanted to leave the Valls government since early 2015.He initially planned to leave after the cancellationof his "Macron 2" lawbut decided to stay on temporarily after a meeting with President François Hollande.Michel Sapin was announced as Macron's replacement,while Hollande said he felt Macron had "methodically betrayed" him.AnIFOPpoll showed that 84% of those surveyed agreed with his decision to resign.
Macron first showed his intention to run by forming En Marche, but following his resignation from the government, he was able to dedicate more time to his movement. He first announced that he was considering running for president in April 2016,and after his resignation from the position of economy minister, media sources began to identify patterns in his fundraising indicating he would run.In October 2016, Macron criticized Hollande's goal of being a "normal" president, saying that France needed a more "Jupiterianpresidency".
On 16 November 2016, Macron formally declared his candidacy for the French presidency after months of speculation. In his announcement speech, he called for a "democratic revolution" and promised to "unblock France".He had expressed hope that Hollande would run several months earlier, saying that—as the sitting president—he was the legitimate Socialist party candidate.Macron's bookRévolutionwas published on 24 November 2016 and reached fifth position on the French best-seller list in December 2016.
Shortly after announcing his run,Jean-Christophe CambadélisandManuel Vallsboth asked Macron to run in theSocialist Party presidential primary, which he ultimately refused to do.Jean-Christophe Cambadélis began to threaten to exclude members who associated or supported Macron followingLyonmayorGérard Collombthrowing his support behind him.
Macron's campaign, headed by French economistSophie Ferracci,announced in December 2016 that it had raised 3.7 million euros in donations,three times the budget of then-front runnerAlain Juppé.Macron came under criticism from several individuals, includingBenoît Hamon−who requested he reveal a list of his donors and accused him of conflicts of interest due to the time he spent at Rothschilds,which Macron dismissed as  "demagogy".Journalists Marion L'Hour and Frédéric Says later reported that he had spent €120,000 on setting up dinners and meetings with various personalities within the media and in French popular culture while at Bercy.Christian JacobandPhilippe Vigieraccused him of using this money to campaign without campaigning.His successor, Michel Sapin, saw nothing illegal about his actions, saying that he had the right to spend the funds.Macron called the allegations "defamatory" and said that none of the ministerial budget had been spent on his party.
Macron's campaign enjoyed considerable coverage from the media.Mediapart reported that over fifty magazine covers were dedicated purely to him.Friends with the owners of Le Mondeand Claude Perdiel, the former owner ofNouvel Observateur,he was labelled the "media candidate" by the far-left and far-right and was viewed as such in opinion polls.Many observers compared his campaign to a product being solddue toMaurice Lévy, a formerPublicisCEO, using marketing tactics to try to advance his presidential ambitions.The magazineMariannereported thatBFM TV, owned byPatrick Drahi, broadcast more coverage of Macron than of all the other main candidates combined.Mariannespeculated that this might be due to the campaigns links with Drahi throughBernard Mourad.
François Bayrou, with whom Macron had been compared, announced he was not going to stand in the presidential election and instead formed an electoral alliance with Macron,whose poll ratings began to rise.  After several legal issues surrounding François Fillon were publicized, Macron overtook him in the polls to become the front-runner.
Macron attracted criticism for the time taken to spell out a formal program during his campaign; despite declaring in November that he had still not released a complete set of proposals by February, attracting both attacks from critics and concern among allies and supporters.He eventually laid out his 150-page formal program on 2 March, publishing it online and discussing it at a marathon press conference that day.
Macron accumulated a wide array of supporters, securing endorsements from François Bayrou of theDemocratic Movement(MoDem), MEPDaniel Cohn-Bendit, the ecologist candidateFrançois de Rugyof theprimary of the left, and Socialist MPRichard Ferrand, secretary-general of En Marche, as well as numerous others – many of them from the Socialist Party, but also a significant number of centrist and centre-right politicians.TheGrand Mosque of ParisurgedFrench Muslimsto vote en masse for Macron.
On 23 April 2017, Macron received the most votes in the first round of the presidential election, with more than 8 million votes (24%) and facedMarine Le Penin the second round, with the support of former candidates François Fillon and Benoît Hamonand the sitting president François Hollande.
Many foreign politicians supported Macron in his bid against right-wing populist candidateMarine Le Pen, includingEuropean CommissionPresidentJean-Claude Juncker, German ChancellorAngela Merkel,and former US PresidentBarack Obama.
A debate was arranged between Macron and Le Pen on 3 May 2017. The debate lasted for two hours and opinion polls showed that he was perceived to have won.
In March 2017, Macron's digital campaign manager,Mounir Mahjoubi, told Britain'sSky Newsthat Russia is behind "high level attacks" on Macron, and said that its state media are "the first source of false information". He said: "We are accusingRT(formerly known as Russia Today) andSputnik News(of being) the first source of false information shared about our candidate...".
Two days before the French presidential election on 7 May, it was reported that nine gigabytes ofMacron's campaign emailshad been anonymously posted toPastebin, a document-sharing site. These documents were then spread onto the imageboard4chan, which led to the hashtag "#macronleaks" trending on Twitter.In a statement the same evening, Macron's political movement, En Marche, said: "The En Marche movement has been the victim of a massive and coordinated hack this evening which has given rise to the diffusion on social media of various internal information".Macron's campaign had previously been presented a report in March 2017 by the Japanese cyber security firmTrend Microdetailing howEn Marchehad been the target of phishing attacks.Trend Micro said that the group conducting these attacks was the Russian hacking groupFancy Bear, also accused of hacking theDemocratic National Committeeon22 July 2016.21,075 verified emails and another 50,773 emails it could not verify werereleased in July 2017 by WikiLeaks.This followed Le Pen accusing Macron of tax avoidance.
On 7 May 2017, Macron was elected President of France with 66.1% of the vote to Marine Le Pen's 33.9%. The election had record abstention at 25.4%, and 8% of ballots were blank or spoiled.Macron resigned from his role as president of En Marcheand Catherine Barbaroux became interim leader.
Macron qualified for the runoff after the first round of the election on 23 April 2017. He won the second round of the presidential election on 7 May 2017 by a landslide according to preliminary results,making the candidate of theNational Front, Marine Le Pen, concede.At 39, he became the youngest president in French history and the youngest French head of state sinceNapoleon.He is also the first president of France born after the establishment of theFifth Republicin 1958.
Macron formally became president on 14 May.He appointedPatrick Strzodaas his chief of staffandIsmaël Emelienas his special advisor for strategy, communication and speeches.On 15 May, he appointedÉdouard Philippeofthe RepublicansasPrime Minister.On the same day, he made his first official foreign visit, meeting in Berlin with Angela Merkel, theChancellor of Germany. The two leaders emphasised the importance ofFrance–Germany relationsto the European Union.They agreed to draw up a "common road map" for Europe, insisting that neither was against changes to theTreaties of the European Union.
In the2017 legislative election, Macron's party La République En Marche and its Democratic Movement allies secured a comfortable majority, winning 350 seats out of 577.After the Republicans emerged as the winners of theSenate elections, government spokesman Christophe Castaner stated the elections were a "failure" for his party.
On 3 July 2020, Macron appointed thecentre-rightJean Castexas the Prime Minister of France. Castex, described as asocial conservative, was a member ofthe Republicans.The appointment was described as "doubling down on a course that is widely seen as centre-right in economic terms".
In his first few months as president, Macron pressed for the enactment of a package of reforms on public ethics, labour laws, taxes, and law enforcement agency powers.
In response toPenelopegate, the National Assembly passed a part of Macron's proposed law to stop mass corruption in French politics by July 2017, banning elected representatives from hiring family members.Meanwhile, the second part of the law scrapping a constituency fund was scheduled for voting after Senate objections.
Macron's plan to give his wife an official role within government came under fire with criticisms ranging from its being undemocratic to what critics perceive as a contradiction to his fight againstnepotism.Following an online petition of nearly 290,000 signatures onchange.orgMacron abandoned the plan.On 9 August, the National Assembly adopted the bill on public ethics, a key theme of Macron's campaign, after debates on the scrapping the constituency funds.
Macron aims to shift union-management relations away from the adversarial lines of the current French system and toward a more flexible, consensus-driven system modelled afterGermanyand Scandinavia.He has also pledged to act against companies employing cheaper labour from eastern Europe and in return affecting jobs of French workers, what he has termed as "social dumping". Under thePosted Workers Directive 1996, eastern European workers can be employed for a limited time at the salary level in eastern European countries, which has led to dispute between the EU states.
The French government announced the proposed changes to France's labour rules ("Code du Travail"), being among the first steps taken by Macron and his government to galvanize the French economy.Macron's reform efforts have encountered resistance from some French trade unions.The largest trade union, theCFDT, has taken a conciliatory approach to Macron's push and has engaged in negotiations with the president, while the more militantCGTis more hostile to reforms.Macron's labour minister,Muriel Pénicaud, is overseeing the effort.
The National Assembly including the Senate approved the proposal, allowing the government to loosen the labour laws after negotiations with unions and employers' groups.The reforms, which were discussed with unions, limit payouts for dismissals deemed unfair and give companies greater freedom to hire and fire employees as well as to define acceptable working conditions. The president signed fivedecreesreforming the labour rules on 22 September.Government figures released in October 2017 revealed that during the legislative push to reform the labour code, the unemployment rate had dropped 1.8%, the biggest since 2001.
Speaking on refugees and, specifically, theCalais Jungle, Macron said on 16 January 2018 that he would not allow another refugee camp to form in Paris before outlining the government policy towards immigration and asylum.He has also announced plans to speed up asylum applications and deportations but give refugees better housing.
On 23 June 2018, President Macron said: "The reality is that Europe is not experiencing a migration crisis of the same magnitude as the one it experienced in 2015", "a country like Italy has not at all the same migratory pressure as last year. The crisis we are experiencing today in Europe is a political crisis".In November 2019, Macron introduced new immigration rules to restrict the number of refugees reaching France, while stating to "take back control" of the immigration policy.
In 2022, the total number of new foreigners coming to France rose above 320,000 for the first time, with nearly a majority coming fromAfrica.
Pierre de Villiers, then-Chief of the General Staff of the Armies, stepped down on 19 July 2017 following a confrontation with Macron.De Villiers cited the military budget cut of €850 million as the main reason he was stepping down.Le Mondelater reported that De Villiers told a parliamentary group, "I will not let myself be fucked like this."Macron namedFrançois Lecointreas De Villiers' replacement.
Macron's government presented its first budget on 27 September, the terms of which reduced taxes as well as spending to bring the public deficit in line with the EU's fiscal rules.The budget replaced thewealth taxwith one targeting real estate, fulfilling Macron's campaign pledge to scrap the wealth tax.Before it was replaced, the tax collected up to 1.5% of the wealth of French residents whose global worth exceeded €1.3m.
In February 2018, Macron announced a plan to offervoluntary redundancyin an attempt to further cut jobs from the French civil service.
In December 2019, Macron announced that he would scrap the 20th-century pension system and introduce a single national pension system managed by the state.In January 2020, after weeks of public transport shutdown and vandalism across Paris against the new pension plan, Macron compromised on the plan by revising the retirement age.In February, the pension overhaul was adopted by decree usingArticle 49 of the French constitution.However, on 16 March 2020, Macron announced that the draft legislation would be pulled as France went intolockdownto slow the spread ofCOVID-19.
In July 2017, the Senate approved its first reading of a controversial bill with stricter anti-terror laws, a campaign pledge of Macron. The National Assembly voted on 3 October to pass bill 415–127, with 19 abstentions. Interior MinisterGérard Collombdescribed France as being "still in a state of war" ahead of the vote, with the1 October Marseille stabbinghaving taken place two days prior. The Senate then passed the bill on its second reading by a 244–22 margin on 18 October. Later that day Macron stated that 13 terror plots had been foiled since early 2017. The law replaced thestate of emergency in Franceand made some of its provisions permanent.
The bill was criticized by human rights advocates. A public poll byLe Figaroshowed 57% of the respondents approved of it even though 62% thought it would encroach on personal freedoms.
The law gives authorities expanded power to search homes, restrict movement, close places of worship,and search areas around train stations and international ports and airports. It was passed after modifications to address concerns about civil liberties. The most punitive measures will be reviewed annually and were scheduled to lapse by the end of 2020.The bill was signed into law by Macron on 30 October 2017. He announced that starting 1 November, it would bring an end to the state of emergency.
VisitingCorsicain February 2018, Macron sparked controversy when he rejectedCorsican nationalistwishes forCorsicanas an official languagebut offered to recognize Corsica in the French constitution.
Macron also proposed a plan to "reorganise" theIslamic religion in Francesaying: "We are working on the structuring of Islam in France and also on how to explain it, which is extremely important – my goal is to rediscover what lies at the heart oflaïcité, the possibility of being able to believe as not to believe, in order to preserve national cohesion and the possibility of having freedom of conscience." He declined to reveal further information about the plan.
Macron attended the2017 Brussels summiton 25 May 2017, his first NATO summit as president of France. At the summit, he met US PresidentDonald Trumpfor the first time. The meeting was widely publicized due to a handshake between the two of them, characterized as a "power-struggle".
On 29 May 2017, Macron met withVladimir Putinat thePalace of Versailles. The meeting sparked controversy when Macron denounced Russia Today and Sputnik, accusing the news agencies of being "organs of influence and propaganda, of lying propaganda".Macron also urged cooperation in the conflict againstISISand warned that France would respond with force in Syria if chemical weapons were used.In response to thechemical attack in Douma, Syriain 2018, Macron directed French participation inairstrikes against Syrian government sites, coordinated with the United States and the United Kingdom.
In his first major foreign policy speech on 29 August, President Macron stated that fightingIslamist terrorismat home and abroad was France's top priority. Macron urged a tough international stance to pressure North Korea into negotiations, on the same day itfired a missile over Japan. He also affirmed his support for theIranian nuclear dealand criticizedVenezuela's governmentas a "dictatorship". He added that he would announce his new initiatives on the future of the European Union after theGerman elections in September.At the 56th Munich Security Conference in February, Macron presented his 10-year vision policy to strengthen the European Union. Macron remarked that larger budget, integrated capital markets, effective defence policy and quick decision-making held the key for Europe. He added that reliance on NATO and especially the US and the UK was not good for Europe, and a dialogue must be established with Russia.
Prior to the45th G7 summitinBiarritz, France, Macron hosted Vladimir Putin at theFort de Brégançon, stating that "Russia fully belongs within a Europe of values."At the summit itself, Macron was invited to attend on the margins by Iranian Foreign MinisterJavad Zarif.Macron, who "attempted a high-risk diplomatic gambit", thought that the Foreign Minister of Iran might be able to defuse the tense situation over theIranian nuclear programmein spite of the recent uptick in tensions between the Islamic Republic and the United States and Britain.
In March 2019, at a time when China–U.S. economic relations were troubled with atrade warunderway, Macron and Chinese leaderXi Jinpingsigned a series of 15 large-scale trade and business agreements totaling 40 billion euros (US$45 billion) which covered many sectors over a period of years.This included a €30 billion purchase of airplanes fromAirbus. Going beyond aviation, the new trade agreement covered French exports of chicken, a French-built offshore wind farm in China, a Franco-Chinese cooperation fund, as well as billions of Euros of co-financing betweenBNP Paribasand theBank of China. Other plans included billions of euros to be spent on modernizing Chinese factories, as well as new ship building.
In July 2020, Macron called for sanctions againstTurkeyforviolating Greece'sandCyprus' sovereignty, saying it is "not acceptable that the maritime space of (EU) member states be violated and threatened."He also criticizedTurkish military intervention in Libya.Macron said that "We have the right to expect more from Turkey than from Russia, given that it is a member of NATO."
In 2021, Macron was reported as sayingNorthern Irelandwas not truly part of the United Kingdom following disputes with UK Prime MinisterBoris Johnsonover implementations of theNorthern Ireland protocol.He later denied this, saying he was referring to the fact that Great Britain is separated from Northern Ireland by sea in reference to theIrish Sea border.
French-U.S. relationsbecame tense in September 2021 due to fallout from theAUKUSsecurity pact between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The security pact is directed at counteringChinese powerin theIndo-Pacificregion. As part of the agreement, the U.S. agreed to providenuclear-powered submarinesto Australia. After entering into AUKUS, the Australian government canceled an agreement that it had made with France for theprovision of French conventionally powered submarines, angering the French government.On 17 September, France recalled its ambassadors from Australia and the US for consultations.Despite tension in the past, France had never before withdrawn its ambassador to the United States.After a call between Macron and U.S. PresidentJoe Bidenon request from the latter, the two leaders agreed to reduce bilateral tensions, and the White House acknowledged the crisis could have been averted if there had been open consultations between allies.
On 26 November 2021, Macron and Italian Prime MinisterMario Draghisigned theQuirinal Treatyat theQuirinal Palacein Rome.The treaty aimed to promote the convergence and coordination of French and Italian positions in matters of European and foreign policies, security and defence, migration policy, economy, education, research, culture and cross-border cooperation.
During theprelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Macron spoke face-to-face and on the phone to Russian PresidentVladimir Putin.During Macron's campaign for there-election, nearly two months after theRussian invasionbegan, Macron called on European leaders to maintain dialogue with Putin.
According to an IFOP poll forLe Journal du Dimanche, Macron started his five-year term with a 62% approval rating,which rose to 64% by 24 June.One month later, Macron suffered a 10% point drop in popularity, the largest at the beginning of a term for any president sinceJacques Chiracin 1995, and by August, his popularity had fallen off 24 percentage points since June.This was attributed to his recent confrontations with former Chief of Defence StaffPierre de Villiers,the nationalization of theChantiers de l'Atlantiqueshipyard owned by the bankruptSTX Offshore & Shipbuilding,and a reduction in housing benefits.
By the end of September 2017, seven out of ten respondents said that they believed Emmanuel Macron was respecting his campaign promises,though a majority felt that the policies the government was putting forward were "unfair".Macron's popularity fell sharply again in 2018, reaching about 25% by the end of November during theyellow vests movement.During theCOVID-19 pandemic in France, his popularity increased, reaching 50% at its highest in July 2020.
On 18 July 2018,Le Monderevealed in an article that a member of Macron's staffAlexandre Benallaposed as a police officer and beat a protester during May Day demonstrations in Paris earlier in the year and was suspended for a period of 15 days before only being internally demoted. The Élysée failed to refer the case to the public prosecutor and a preliminary investigation into the case was not opened until the day after the publication of the article, and the lenient penalty served by Benalla raised questions within the opposition about whether the executive deliberately chose not to inform the public prosecutor as required under the code of criminal procedure.
In the2022 election, Macron was the first incumbent to be re-elected since Jacques Chirac defeated Jean-Marie Le Pen in the2002 election.Macron again defeated Marine Le Pen in the runoff, this time by a closer margin, with 58.55% of the votes to Le Pen's 41.45%.Due to near-record abstentions, this represented 38.52% of registered voters, the lowest figure sinceGeorges Pompidou's 37.5% in1969.The French far-right received their highest vote total since the start of the French Republic, with nationalist candidates (Le Pen,ZemmourandDupont-Aignan) winning 32.3% of the votes in the first round and Le Pen achieving a record 41.5% of the votes in the second round.
Though Macron's second inauguration took place on 7 May 2022, his second presidential term officially began on 14 May 2022.
On 16 May 2022, Prime MinisterJean Castexresigned after 22 months as head of government. The same day, President Macron appointedÉlisabeth Borneat theHôtel Matignon, thus making her the second female PM in French history afterÉdith Cressonbetween 1991 and 1992. She then formed a new government on 20 May 2022.
In June 2022, one month into his second term, less than two weeks before the end of the Frenchpresidency of the Council of the EUand days after he called for voters to hand him a "solid majority" in a controversial 'tarmac speech',Macron lost his parliamentary majority and was returned ahung parliamentin the second round of the2022 legislative election:Macron'spresidential coalition, which enjoyed a 115-seat majority going into the election, failed to reach the threshold of 289 seats needed to command an overall majority in theNational Assembly, retaining only 251 out of the 346 it had held in the previous Assembly, and falling 38 short of an absolute majority.Crucially, three close political allies to President Macron were defeated in the elections: incumbent President of the National AssemblyRichard Ferrand, Macron's own LREM parliamentary party leaderChristophe Castanerand MoDem parliamentary group leaderPatrick Mignola, thus effectively "decapitating"  Macron's parliamentary bloc leadership and further weakening the President's political position in hung parliament territory.
Three government ministers resigned after losing their seats:Justine Bénin(junior minister for the Sea),Brigitte Bourguignon(Minister for Health and Prevention) andAmélie de Montchalin(Minister for Ecological Transition).
Macron's government, still led by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, was reshuffled in early July 2022 and continued as aminority administration, after talks with opposition leaders to form a stablemajority governmentfailed.
Macron's second presidential term began with two significant political controversies. Hours after the new Borne cabinet was announced, rape accusations against newly appointed Minister for SolidarityDamien Abadwere made public,and on 28 May, the handling of the2022 UEFA Champions League final chaosat the Stade de France in Saint-Denis drew criticism at home and abroad.
Despite its minority status in the legislature after the 2022 legislative election, Macron's government passed bills to ease the cost-of-living crisis,to repeal theCOVID-era "state of health emergency",and to revive the French nuclear energy sector.However, government proposals were defeated several times in the National Assemblyand by the end of 2022, theBorne cabinethad had to use the provisions ofArticle 49.3 of the Constitutionten times in a row to pass the 2023 Government Budget and Social Security Budget.
In May 2024,protests and riotsbroke out inNew Caledonia. On 22 May, Macron visited the island.
In March 2023, Macron's government passed a law raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, partly bypassing Parliament by again resorting to Article 49.3 to break the parliamentary deadlock.Nationwide proteststhat had begun when the bill was introduced back in January increased in intensity after the reform was passed without a solemn vote.
On 20 March 2023, Macron's cabinet, headed by Prime minister Borne, survived a cross-partymotion of no-confidenceby only nine votes, the slimmest margin for such a vote since 1992.
On 12 June 2023, his government survived its 17th no-confidence motion since the beginning of the 16th legislature; the motion, brought by the left-wing NUPES coalition, fell 50 votes short of the 289 votes needed.
In early summer 2023, French authorities facedriotsfollowing thekilling of Nahel M., aged 17, by a police officer during a traffic stop.To calm widespread unrest, comparable in intensity to the2005 French riots, Macron's administration ramped up government response, with a total of 45,000 police officers deployed on the ground and a ministerial order advising courts to apply harsher sentences and accelerated procedures:this crackdown resulted in over 1,300 arrests on the fourth night of unrest alone, bringing the total number of arrests since the riots' beginning to over 2,000 as of 1 July.
On 20 July 2023, Macron carried out agovernment reshuffleat the end of the "hundred days of appeasement and action" he called for in April 2023 following the violent protests surrounding the passage of his pension system reform.Pap NdiayeandMarlène Schiappawere sacked as part of the reshuffle.
On 1 August 2023, Macron signed into law a multi-year military planning bill, which set the stage for a 40%-increase in military spending to a total of €413 billion between 2024 and 2030, after it was passed by the French parliament on 13 July 2023.
In February 2023, Macron's government introduced an immigration and asylum bill aimed at removing deportation safeguards, fast-tracking asylum application process and immigration litigation, while also facilitating legalization of undocumented workers.His government later pulled the draft legislation amid fears of defeat in Parliament, instead planning to hold talks with the centre-rightLRparty before reintroducing the bill in the autumn.
In August 2023, in a lengthy interview with weekly magazineLe Point, Macron said that France "must significantly reduce immigration, starting with illegal immigration" because the "current situation is not sustainable".
On 11 December 2023, the "flagship" immigration bill introduced by Macron's government was unexpectedly defeated after the narrow passage of amotion for preliminary dismissalin the National Assembly.Political commentators and news media described the vote as a "spectacular debacle", eventually sparking a major political crisis for Macron's minority administration.
In an effort to salvage the bill, Macron's government sent the draft legislation to ajoint parliamentary committee: it resulted in a deal with the conservative-controlledSenateon a drastically hardened bill. On 19 December 2023, the French Parliament passed the piece of legislation thanks to support from the conservativeLRand far-rightRNparliamentary groups and in spite of a major rebellion from Macron's own coalition and ministers.Health MinisterAurélien Rousseau, whom Macron had appointed to the government only 6 months earlier, resigned shortly after the vote.
On the 65th anniversary of theFrench Constitutionon 4 October 2023, Macron unveiled avenues for constitutional reform: broadening the scope and relaxing rules for referendums; enshrining the right to abortion and climate protection in the Constitution; stepping up the level ofterritorial devolution; giving some form of political autonomy toCorsicaandNew Caledonia.
On 4 March 2024, ajoint session of the French Parliamentpassed a constitutional amendment supported by Macron to protect abortion as a 'guaranteed freedom' in the Constitution.It represented the first constitutional reform since 2008 and the first since Macron took office in 2017.
In January 2024, in the wake of thegovernment crisisproduced by the passage of the 'controversial' immigration bill, Macron requested Prime minister Élisabeth Borne to resign and subsequently replaced her by Education ministerGabriel Attal, making him both the youngest head of government in French history and the first openly gay man ever to hold the job.
The new Attal cabinet was widely described as the most right-leaning government since the start of theMacron Presidency: out of the 14 Cabinet ministers appointed on 11 January 2024 by Macron and Attal, 57% are former members of the conservativeUMP/LRparty, while prominent left-leaning ministers of the outgoing Borne government were sacked, moves described as indicating a notable tilt to the right.
In February 2024, amid slowing economic growth and disappointing unemployment figures, Macron's government unveiled €10 billion in emergency spending cuts to hold to its 2024 deficit goal.
A month later, Macron convened a 'crisis meeting' to discuss the state of France's public finances amid reports showing that the government had heavily missed its 2023 fiscal targets, with a bigger-than-forecasted deficit, putting the country's credit rating at risk of downgrade.
On 9 June 2024, following the results of the2024 European Parliament electionsin which his centrist grouping received only 14.6% of the votes, finishing nearly 17 points behind Le Pen's RN party, Macron unexpectedly dissolved the National Assembly and called for anearlylegislative election to be held on 30 June and 7 July 2024.
In the first round of the election, on 30 June, Macron's grouping received only 20.04% of the votes nationwide, placing third well behind the hard-rightRN(33.15%) and the left-wingNFPalliance (27.99%), which constituted the worst electoral performance for a governing coalition in a general election since the start of the modern French Republic in 1870.Exit polls released shortly after 8pm on 30 June suggested the RN-led alliance was on course to win either a plurality of seats or an outright majority in the second round, while Macron's coalition was set to lose at least half of the seats it won in 2022.
In the second round, on 7 July, Macron was handed another hung parliament with the left-wing coalition unexpectedly winning a plurality of seats though 90 to 100 seats short of an overall majority, leaving the left theoretically unable to form a government on its own. Macron's grouping lost both 86 seats and its status as the largest parliamentary bloc while the RN-led alliance, though dramatically underperforming the polls, still managed to make significant gains, eventually becoming the largest single party in the new National Assembly. The results presented unprecedented potential for political crisis and parliamentary gridlock.
Shortly after exit polls were released on the night of 7 July, Macron's Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, announced he would tender his resignation to the President. The following day, Macron refused Attal's resignation, instead asking him to stay on until a new government could be formed.
On 27 August, Macron refused to appoint NFP-designateLucie Castetsas prime minister.
After holding talks with leaders from parties represented in Parliament in an effort to find a working majority, Macron appointed conservative figureMichel Barnieras Prime Minister on 5 September and invited him to form a "unity government". Barnier's appointment was seen as a growing sign of Le Pen's influence on French politics since she had previously blocked the appointment ofXavier Bertrand, another conservative figure seen as a serious contender for the premiership.
In early December 2024, Prime Minister Michel Barnier resorted to Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass the 2025 Social Security budget without parliamentary approval. In response to Barnier's move, the National Assembly passed a vote of no confidence on 4 December, effectively bringing down the government Barnier resigned, but Macron vowed to stay in office until the end of his term.It was the first French cabinet to be toppled by Parliament since 1962.Macron addressed the country on 5 December. He accepted the resignation of Barnier and vowed to remain in office until the end of his term. He blamed alliance of 'extreme left and extreme right' for collapse of French government.
On 16 June 2022, Macron visited Ukraine alongside German ChancellorOlaf Scholzand Italy's Prime MinisterMario Draghi. He met with Ukraine's PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyyand expressed "European Unity" for Ukraine.He said that the nations that remainedneutralin theRusso-Ukrainian Warmade a historic mistake and were complicit in thenew imperialism.
In September 2022, Macron criticized the United States,Norwayand other "friendly"natural gas supplier statesfor the extremely high prices of their supplies,saying in October 2022 that Europeans are "paying four times more than the price you sell to your industry. That is not exactly the meaning of friendship."
Macron and his wife attended thestate funeral of Queen Elizabeth IIin Westminster Abbey, London, on 19 September 2022, and thecoronation of King Charles IIIthe following year.
On 23 October 2022, Macron became the first foreign leader to meet new Italian Prime MinisterGiorgia Meloni, just a day after she and herministerswere sworn into office.
During asummit to Chinawith European Commission PresidentUrsula von der Leyen, which included a formal meeting withXi Jinping, theGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist PartyandPresident of China, Macron called for Europe to reduce its dependence on theUnited Statesin general and to stay neutral and avoid being drawn into any possible confrontation between the U.S. andChinaoverTaiwan. Speaking after a three-day state visit to China, Macron emphasised his theory ofstrategic autonomy, suggesting that Europe could become a "third superpower". He argued that Europe should focus on boosting its own defence industries and additionally reduce its dependence on theUnited States dollar(USD).in a follow-up speech inThe Hagueto further outline his vision of strategic autonomy for Europe.On 7 June 2023, a report by thepan-Europeanthink tankEuropean Council on Foreign Relations(ECFR) found that most Europeans agree with Macron's views on China and the United States.
In February 2023, he welcomed Ethiopian Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmedin Paris to normalize relations between France andEthiopia, strained by theTigray Warbetween the Ethiopian government andTigrayrebels.
On 31 May 2023 Macron visited the GLOBSEC forum in Bratislava, where he again delivered a speech on European sovereignty.During the question and answer session that followed the Bratislava speech,he said that negotiating with Putin may have to take priority over any war crimes tribunal which some others, including Zelensky, wish to see.
On 12 June 2023, Macron promised to deliver more ammunition, weapons and armed vehicles to help Ukrainian forces with the ongoingcounter-offensiveto liberate Russian-occupiedsoutheasternUkraine.At theNATO Summit in Vilnius, he promised to supply Ukraine withScalp long-range cruise missilesto hit Russian targets deep behind the front lines.On 10 November 2023, he said that what Russia is doing in Ukraine is "imperialism and colonialism" and it was the "duty" of France and other countries to help Ukraine defend itself, but added that maybe the time will come to hold fairpeace negotiationsand find a solution with Russia.
In June 2023 Macron hosted a global climate finance conference described by many as the newBretton Woods Conference. The purpose is to adjust the global economy to the contemporary threats ofclimate changeand hunger. One of the propositions is to offer low income countries aid instead of credit so they can use their resources for stopping climate change and poverty instead of debt payments. Macron supported the idea, but a climate activist from Uganda remarked that the promises were meaningless if at the same time Macron supported projects like theEast African Crude Oil Pipeline, a major threat to the climate and to the drinking water of 40 million people.At the summit Macron proposed aninternational taxation systemanddebt restructuringbut stressed it can have an effect only withinternational cooperation.
In July 2023, Macron postponed his planned state visit to Germany due to the ongoingNahel M. riots.
In October 2023, Macron condemnedHamas's actions during theIsrael–Hamas warand expressed his support toIsraeland its right to self-defense.On 10 November 2023, he called for a ceasefire and urged Israel to stopbombing Gaza and killing civilians.
In February 2024, during a meeting with other European states, Macron generated controversy by suggestingsending ground troops to Ukraine.On 28 May 2024, Macron gave Ukraine permission to useSCALP EGmissiles against targets on Russian soil. Such usage was instructed to be limited "to neutralize military sites from which missiles are being fired, military sites from which Ukraine is being attacked".
On 10 July 2022,The Guardianrevealed that Macron had assisted Uber in lobbying during his term as the Minister of Economics and Industry,leading to calls from opposition lawmakers for a parliamentary inquiry.In his own defence, Macron expressed that he "did his job" and that he would "do it again tomorrow and the day after tomorrow".He stated, "I'm proud of it".
As president of France, Macron also servesex officioas one of the twoco-princesofAndorra. His chief of staffPatrick Strzodaserves as his representative in this capacity.Joan Enric Vives i Sicília, appointed as the currentBishop of Urgellon 12 May 2003, serves as Macron's co-prince. Macron swore theConstitution of Andorrathrough Strzoda in an act that took place on 15 June 2017 inCasa de la Vall.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Andorran government asked France for economic aid, but Macron refused, arguing that theBank of Francecould not offer loans to another country without the approval of theEuropean Central Bank.
Macron is married toBrigitte Trogneux,his former La Providence high school teacher in Amiens close to 25 years his senior.They met during a theatre workshop that she was giving when he was a 15-year-old student and she was a 39-year-old teacher.His parents initially attempted to separate the couple by sending him away to Paris to finish the final year of his schooling, as they felt his youth made this relationship inappropriate.The couple reunited after Macron graduated, and were married in 2007.She has three children from a previous marriage;he has no children of his own.Her role in Macron's 2017 presidential campaign has been considered pivotal, with close Macron allies stating that Brigitte Macron helped him to develop skills like public speaking.
Hisbest manwasHenry Hermand(1924–2016), a businessman who loaned €550,000 to Macron for the purchase of his first apartment in Paris when he was Inspector of Finances. Hermand also let Macron use some of his offices on theAvenue des Champs Élyséesin Paris for his movement En Marche.
In the2002 French presidential election, Macron voted forsouverainistJean-Pierre Chevènement.In 2007, Macron voted forSégolène Royalin the second round of thepresidential election.During theSocialist Party primary in 2011, Macron voiced his support forFrançois Hollande.
Macron plays the piano,and studied piano for ten years in his youth.He especially enjoys the work ofRobert SchumannandFranz Liszt.Macron also skis,plays tennisand enjoys boxing.In addition to his native French, Macron speaks fluent English.
In August 2017, a photojournalist was arrested and detained by the police for six hours after he entered the private residence where Macron was vacationing inMarseille.Macron subsequently filed a complaint for "harassment".In September 2017, he dropped the complaint "as a gesture of appeasement".
On 27 August 2017, Macron and his wife Brigitte adoptedNemo, a black Labrador Retriever-Griffon dog who lives with them in the Élysée Palace.As a schoolboy, Macron decided to be baptised as a Catholic. In June 2018, prior to meetingPope Francis, he identified himself as anagnostic Catholic.In the same year he agreed to become an honorary canon ofSt John Lateran, the cathedral of Rome.
A fan offootball, Macron is a supporter of French clubOlympique de Marseille.During the2018 World Cup, he attended the semi-final betweenFranceandBelgiumwith the BelgianKing PhilippeandQueen Mathilde,and at theWorld Cup finalagainstCroatia, he sat and celebrated alongside Croatian presidentKolinda Grabar-Kitarović. Macron received widespread media attention for his celebrations and his interactions with the Croatian president.