Emmanuel Macron

{{hatnote|{{wpl|Macron (diacritic)|This}} is also a macron. And {{wpl|Macaron|*this*}} is a French macaron.}}
{{cquote|I am a socialist. I believe being a socialist is a necessity these days.|||Emmanuel Macron, in 2014<ref>[https://youtube.com/watch?v=gX9hsXCnKAs]</ref>{{better source}}}}
{{cquote|To be honest, I am not a socialist.|||Emmanuel Macron, in 2016<ref>[https://youtube.com/watch?v=gX9hsXCnKAs]</ref>{{better source}}}}
{{cquote|I am a maoist. A good program is a program that works.|||Emmanuel Macron, in 2017<ref>[https://www.publicsenat.fr/actualites/non-classe/revolution-culturelle-macron-multiplie-les-references-aux-maoistes-56498]</ref>}}

[[File:Emmanuel Macron during his meeting with Vladimir Putin, June 2017.jpg|165px|thumb|That's the face of a man who thinks, "How bad were you that people looked to ''me'' for help?"]]{{FrenchPolitics}} 
'''Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron''' {{lived|1977}}, commonly known as '''Emmanuel Macron''', nicknamed '''La glue'''<ref>[https://fr.news.yahoo.com/jo-de-paris-2024-emmanuel-macron-leon-marchand-194213489.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADR5FRRYpvHd3C5cpJ029IV6gTB_r_uwzWtZ4XN6L80MkqTfDDtkaapsla4EV5D3u1GUYMGBFO_5thVjnEVfu5dvl_8dl4Laiu4QklGuC987Ee5RoNAn8thsqY-EIAxzSllEAg4dvZQpGl-xVXnuvVS8RiNLLKxsI9D3OtXDR1J6| JO de Paris 2024 - "On l'appelle la glue", "C'est un cauchemar", "Vous êtes obligés de gâcher ce moment?": la présence d'Emmanuel Macron au sacre de 200 m 4 nages de Léon Marchand exaspère les internautes]</ref> or '''Manu'''<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/20/president-macron-double-standards-france Manu or Mr President? Macron’s double standards show his lack of cool] The Guardian</ref>, is the 8th President of the [[France|Fifth Republic of France]], having twice defeated the leader of [[Front National]] (which, after the meteoric loss, was renamed to [[National Rally]]) [[Marine Le Pen]] in the second round of the 2017 and 2022 elections. He won in a landslide: 66.1% to Le Pen's 33.9%; but since then his approval ratings dropped considerably, though he was still able to win a 58% of the vote in the second round in 2022. He is term-limited from running in 2027, but has indicated he wants to run in 2032 when he will be in his late 50s.<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2025/07/11/macron-can-t-run-in-2027-but-he-is-hinting-at-a-return-in-2032_6743262_5.html "Macron can't run in 2027, but he is hinting at a return in 2032," Mariama Darame and Nathalie Segaunes, Le Monde]</ref> He dissolved the National Assembly in 2024, an act which his own father has attributed to his belief that giving the [[far-right]] [[National Rally]] power would make them turn out as incompetent.<ref>[https://www.estrepublicain.fr/politique/2024/07/03/jean-michel-macron-mon-fils-m-avait-parle-de-la-dissolution-deux-mois-avant]</ref> Paul von Hindenburg and Franz von Papen had similar thoughts to Macron's in 1933.<ref>[https://www.nouvelobs.com/opinions/20250930.OBS108212/emmanuel-macron-plutot-le-rn-que-le-front-republicain.html]</ref>

A former member of the centre-left [[Social_democracy#Prominent_social_democratic_parties_in_various_countries|Socialist Party]] (which he left in 2009), in 2016 he founded [[En Marche!|''La République En Marche !'']] (later renamed ''Renaissance''), a [[centrist]] to [[right-wing]] and [[European Union|pro-European]] political party. His creation of a third party was welcomed by the French public who lost all confidence in the two-party system that had been in place since the French Fifth Republic's establishment. Many independent MPs joined Renaissance, alongside several former members of both the Socialist and Gaullist parties, which bolstered his party's campaign infrastructure and capacity to reach voters on the ground in addition to Macron's skillful use of social media. He became president amid massive corruption scandals destroying the reputations and campaigns of his opponents in the Socialist and Gaullist parties. At least half its candidates came from civil society, the other half having previously held political office and half were women.<ref>[https://www.lexpress.fr/politique/elections/legislatives-les-candidats-de-la-republique-en-marche-investis-d-ici-a-jeudi_1906237.html The article explaining this is only found in French]</ref> Once he became president, legislative elections were held in 18 June 2017, and Renaissance became the largest party in the French parliament, thoroughly and many would argue permanently destroying the two party system in France.

He's a typical economic [[Classical liberalism|liberal]], which in Europe means he supports free markets over a welfare state (the U.S. idea of a liberal is very different from the rest of the world). From tax cuts to the fight against "Islamo-Leftism", the default state of his presidency has always been "controversial." But at the very least, he has publicly upheld France’s secular values. Compare that to [[Marine Le Pen|his rival]] who is a Christian fundamentalist and nationalist fascist.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67657837.amp France's Emmanuel Macron buffeted from all sides in row over secularism] BBC News </ref> This has veiled, however, an Islamophobic politic going against the liberty of conscious of laïcité as it was voted in 1905. 

==Le bon, la brute, et le blasé==

===The Good===
He wants a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine crisis.<ref name='theconversation'>http://theconversation.com/emmanuel-macron-is-already-showing-he-is-no-progressive-81200</ref> (would be nice to act on that though)

He said that France must acknowledge responsibility for deporting thousands of [[Judaism|Jews]] to [[Nazi Germany]] in [[World War II|WWII]].<ref name='theconversation' />

He wants a gender-balanced cabinet.<ref name='theconversation' /> 

He opened medically-assisted procreation to all cisgender women.<ref>https://www.france24.com/en/20180925-france-bioethics-body-backs-medically-assisted-reproduction-all-women-lesbian-couples</ref>

He implemented a system of bonuses and penalties to encourage companies to make more unfixed term contracts<ref>https://www.archynetys.com/business/emmanuel-macron-puts-the-bonus-penalty-on-the-table-to-fight-against-the-abuse-of-cdd/</ref>, but this has been severely criticised too.<ref>https://www.cgt.fr/actualites/france/situation-demploi-precarisee/les-reformes-du-droit-du-travail-au-motif-de-le-simplifier-le-font-disparaitre</ref> As President, in order to fight unemployment, (something that every French president failed at since 1980) he signed into law several reforms, that have had an effect from 2017 to 2022, but unemployment has risen dramatically again since then.<ref>https://www.ladepeche.fr/2025/01/29/dossier-hausse-du-chomage-cette-ombre-sur-le-bilan-demmanuel-macron-12476068.php</ref> These initial reforms, in fact, were inspired by the models adopted in Germany, Denmark and Sweden, and even received overall support from the CFDT at the beginning of the presidency, France's most influential union.<ref>[https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-dives-head-first-into-labor-reform-french-president-france-economy-unions/ Emmanuel Macron plunges head-first into labor reform] ''Politico''</ref><ref>[https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-labor-reform-5-key-points/ 5 key points from Macron’s big labor reform] ''Politico''</ref> 

He wants to create a European minimum wage.<ref>https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-minimum-wage-eu-labour-european-commission-a8908761.html</ref>

===The Bad===

The 2024 dissolution of the National Assembly served to give the far-right National Rally a majority, in order to show the French people their incompetence at governing.<ref>[https://www.nouvelobs.com/opinions/20250930.OBS108212/emmanuel-macron-plutot-le-rn-que-le-front-republicain.html]</ref> Macron even helped them during the electoral campaign through various phone calls, notably against the hard-left La France Insoumise.<ref>[https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/les-coups-de-fil-secrets-de-macron-pour-aider-le-rn-face-a-lfi-les-indiscrets-du-figaro-20250919]</ref>

He said that [[Africa]]'s problems are "civilizational" and happen because of women having "7 or 8" kids (which is only true for one or two out of over fifty African states),<ref>https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Maps/</ref> not because of colonialism.<ref group=note>In fairness, he did call out colonialism in a speech in [[Algeria]]. Still, this article [http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/07/11/536445457/macron-got-a-lot-wrong-about-africa-but-made-one-good-point here] explains what's wrong with his statement.</ref> Never mind that Africa is a giant and extremely diverse continent with each country varying a lot from each other. On climate change, his results are described as a "catastrophe" by Greenpeace.<ref>https://www.greenpeace.fr/ecologie-et-climat-le-bilan-catastrophe-de-macron/</ref> He wants to "retake control" of migratory politics and fights against "medical tourism", and a worsening of foreigners' rights has been recorded.<ref>https://www.mediapart.fr/studio/panoramique/2017-2022-le-bilan-macron-au-scanner-de-mediapart</ref><ref>https://www.lesechos.fr/politique-societe/politique/immigration-le-bilan-mitige-de-la-loi-collomb-1137824</ref><ref>https://www.lopinion.fr/politique/loi-collomb-un-bilan-peu-reluisant-contraint-lexecutif-au-colmatage</ref><ref>https://www.lexpress.fr/politique/immigration-le-rapport-qui-egratigne-la-politique-de-macron-et-de-darmanin-OUOUUFWUJNAEFKI6RJ3FQW67MY/</ref> Police violence was very prevalent during the peak of the yellow vest movement (2018–2019), and remains an important problem, which Macron has addressed variously over the years in contradicting manner.<ref>https://www.mediapart.fr/studio/panoramique/2017-2022-le-bilan-macron-au-scanner-de-mediapart</ref><ref>https://www.franceinfo.fr/faits-divers/police/violences-policieres/violences-policieres-comment-emmanuel-macron-a-fait-evoluer-son-discours-depuis-2017_5789399.html</ref><ref>https://www.liberation.fr/societe/police-justice/non-emmanuel-macron-lusage-de-la-violence-par-les-forces-de-lordre-nest-pas-legitime-par-principe-20230424_MJ5R7O3LPFH6POMXDSIFMXTW7Y/</ref><ref>https://www.bfmtv.com/politique/violences-policieres-les-multiples-changements-de-ton-d-emmanuel-macron-depuis-2017_AN-202109140335.html</ref> His alliance voted for a severe immigration law, of which radical parts were later removed by the council of state, together with the far-right National Rally in 2023 in the national assmebly.<ref>https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2024/01/27/la-loi-sur-l-immigration-promulguee-par-emmanuel-macron_6213271_3224.html</ref> Through using article 49-3, among other things, Macron has betrayed his own promises of institutional change, and his presidency is characteristic of the "presidential monarchy".<ref>https://www.mediapart.fr/studio/panoramique/2017-2022-le-bilan-macron-au-scanner-de-mediapart</ref> The consumption of [[cannabis]] stays severely repressed in France, especially under Gérald Darmanin.<ref>https://www.mediapart.fr/studio/panoramique/2017-2022-le-bilan-macron-au-scanner-de-mediapart</ref><ref>https://www.medecinsdumonde.org/tribune/politique-des-drogues-la-repression-en-france-un-chaos-sanitaire-et-social/</ref><ref>https://www.bfmtv.com/politique/elysee/rendre-la-vie-impossible-aux-consommateurs-de-drogues-est-il-une-solution-pour-lutter-contre-le-trafic_AV-202403230051.html</ref><ref>https://fr.news.yahoo.com/cannabis--alors-que-macron-renforce-repression-ils-proposent-depenalisation-151632048.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANZe70-YjE9-ZA0CYbu4812C3MAxi3ByIuMl1PdI_nxIPxihBuVEJNkjRrDIMt2QmhW3rY59N9WugWq0rd5JXfvdj-LCt-WPP5UdQ1SxLlqQcsTpbiPGTIoNeql5E0BbUxQCzl9CvZNhfLohjzemJHsmk0NMDzWBopWiEG9ehYlt</ref><ref>https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2021/04/26/a-rebours-du-monde-entier-emmanuel-macron-rehabilite-l-archaisme-en-matiere-de-politique-des-drogues_6078124_3232.html</ref>

Economically, Macron is a [[Classical liberalism|liberal]], and his economic results are horrible,<ref>https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2025/07/08/pauvrete-le-decevant-bilan-d-emmanuel-macron_6619893_3232.html</ref> with rising poverty<ref>https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2025/07/08/pauvrete-le-decevant-bilan-d-emmanuel-macron_6619893_3232.html</ref> and a huge debt.<ref>https://www.lesechos.fr/idees-debats/editos-analyses/macron-premier-vrai-bilan-2167432</ref> According to his supporters, the reason is that he used France's past methods on the economy,<ref>https://www.lexpress.fr/economie/politique-economique/derive-des-finances-publiques-le-bilan-accablant-de-la-presidence-macron-SU6XLS4GHNAYBOBDNHZF2QNN2A/</ref> while his adversaries find that it is a result of his liberal policies. In 2018, public debt was of 98.2 %, while at the end of 2023 it was of 110.6 %. <ref>https://www.lexpress.fr/economie/politique-economique/derive-des-finances-publiques-le-bilan-accablant-de-la-presidence-macron-SU6XLS4GHNAYBOBDNHZF2QNN2A/</ref>. His general economic line started in 2012 under the presidency of François Hollande, and consists of less taxes and more flexibility.<ref>https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zohiMb2-V6w</ref> The Bayrou government announced in 2025 a return to normal, for some economists a change signifying a step away from politic of offer.<ref>https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zohiMb2-V6w</ref> According to the CGT, an important trade union in France, the changes done by Macron on the "code du travail" (the law code on work relations) have decreased employees' rights.<ref>https://www.cgt.fr/actualites/france/situation-demploi-precarisee/les-reformes-du-droit-du-travail-au-motif-de-le-simplifier-le-font-disparaitre</ref>

Said about abortion that "it is a right but it's always a tragedy for a woman".<ref>https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/entry/avortement-pourquoi-ces-propos-de-macron-sont-culpabilisants_fr_623444eae4b0f1e82c48140f</ref> Later he denounced the 2024 proposition of the New Popular Front on [[transgender]] rights as ludicrous.<ref>https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2024/06/19/macron-accused-of-transphobia-over-criticism-of-left-wing-union-policy_6675177_5.html</ref> He promised 1 million [[euro]]s for associations specializing in the fight against [[sexism]], but never delivered them, and one of his prime ministers (Gérald Darmanin) was named while under investigation for accusations of [[rape]].<ref>https://www.mediapart.fr/studio/panoramique/2017-2022-le-bilan-macron-au-scanner-de-mediapart</ref>

===The Blasé===
Many have argued that Macron's tax-cuts (e.g., his 70% reduction of the wealth tax) overwhelmingly benefit the top 0.1%.<ref name='theconversation' /> However, Macron has argued that the higher taxes of the past have backfired and resulted in many successful people leaving the country.<ref>https://www.ft.com/content/3d907582-b893-11e7-9bfb-4a9c83ffa852</ref> He argues that these cuts are necessary to stimulate economic growth.

He effectively made the state of emergency permanent by granting police unprecedented powers to harass citizens for the sake of anti-terrorism.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/28/macrons-counter-terror-bill-risks-frances-human-rights-record-says-un</ref> His labor reforms caused a string of layoffs throughout French society, and despite initially (2017–2022) having an absolute majority in parliament (later lost permanently after 2022, as he didn't win it back like he hoped in 2024<ref>https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/legislatives-2022-emmanuel-macron-perd-sa-majorite-face-a-la-nupes-et-percee-historique-du-rn-1660950</ref><ref>https://fr.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/07/08/elections-legislatives-victoire-du-nfp-le-rn-3e-le-parlement-sans-majorite-et-dans-limpass</ref>), accomplished these reforms already in his first mandate by executive order, completely undercutting parliamentary debate and any potential amendments to soften its blow.<ref>https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/02/macron-labor-reform-cgt-melenchon</ref>

==
En Marche!
, 
La République en Marche
, Renaissance==

'''Renaissance''', previously '''En Marche!''' and '''La république en marche''', is a centrist French political party founded by Macron himself after ditching the centre-left Socialists. It literally translates to something along the lines of "On the March!", which would sound very odd in English. A better translation would be "forward" or "onward". It also shares [[Cult |Emmanuel Macron's initials]]... Founded in 2016, the party took France by storm in the 2017 elections, making Macron president, winning an absolute majority in the National Assembly, and winning a decent minority of the French Senate. The party is arguably the most pro-European major party in France.

The party is the main political base for the ''Macronie'', the government and reforms of president Macron.<ref>https://dictionnaire.orthodidacte.com/article/definition-macronie</ref> The ''macronie'' is described as moving to the right since 2017,<ref>https://www.lesechos.fr/politique-societe/gouvernement/avec-michel-barnier-emmanuel-macron-nomme-un-premier-ministre-dont-le-sort-dependra-du-rn-2117227</ref><ref>https://www.ouest-france.fr/politique/gabriel-attal/le-virage-economique-a-droite-demmanuel-macron-se-confirme-dans-lagenda-de-gabriel-attal-a6fd45f2-c8ec-11ee-bd89-65961cacb703</ref><ref>https://www.franceinfo.fr/politique/emmanuel-macron/pour-que-la-france-reste-la-france-ces-mots-d-emmanuel-macron-lors-de-sa-conference-de-presse-qui-confirment-son-virage-a-droite_6307788.html</ref><ref>https://www.boursorama.com/actualite-economique/actualites-amp/avec-la-loi-immigration-emmanuel-macron-confirme-son-virage-a-droite-5f27aaaa180941147f700197526c7f0e</ref><ref>https://www.radioclassique.fr/politique/immigrationniste-en-utilisant-ce-terme-emmanuel-macron-fait-un-virage-radical-a-droite-explique-franz-olivier-giesbert/</ref> having a mostly centre-right electorate now, though previously it was described as making occasional economic moves to the "left", during special situations.<ref>https://www.challenges.fr/politique/presidentielle-2022-emmanuel-macron-les-raisons-d-un-virage-a-gauche_793564</ref> For the 2022 elections, party representatives and Macron feared that in case he and the far-right came to the second round, there would be difficulty convincing the left of voting for him again due to this continuous move rightward. <ref>https://www.liberation.fr/politique/elections/virage-a-droite-et-mirages-de-gauche-la-macronie-fait-le-bilan-20210227_2DXQJCWVDZF65G754OXNZUYAWE/</ref> When the second round finally came, Macron declared his side had "common values" with La France Insoumise of Mélenchon, but, weirdly, after Mélenchon became the lefts candidate for prime minister for the legislative elections of the same year, his ministers called Mélenchon a "Gaullist Chavez" and the project of the "Mélenchonist cartel" a "fiscal guillotine".<ref>https://www.franceinfo.fr/elections/legislatives/legislatives-2022-comment-le-camp-d-emmanuel-macron-a-change-de-ton-face-a-jean-luc-melenchon-depuis-l-entre-deux-tours_5187166.html</ref> In 2022 and 2024, the party spent more time criticising the "immigrationist", "Islamo-leftist", and dangerous "far-left", while largely ignoring the far-right. In 2024, Macron claimed the program of the united left contained "completely ludicrous things" like allowing [[transgender]] people to "change sex in the town hall".

==Protests against Macron==
{{Update section}}
On 17 November 2018, the Yellow Vests ([[Gilets jaunes]]) protests began, protesting over high fuel tax, low [[minimum wage]], and high living costs. On its first day of protests, one person was killed and over a hundred were injured.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/france-fuel-tax-protests-1-dead-and-more-than-100-injured-2018-11-17/</ref> The protests stopped in March 2020, with the emergence of Covid and bans of gatherings, though some did resume again in September when restrictions loosened. Since they began, 11 people have been killed and over 4,000 have been injured.

Some protests took place in Paris following his 2022 re-election.<ref>https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/police-teargas-paris-protestors-after-macron-re-elected-2022-04-24/</ref>

==See also==
*[[2017 French presidential elections]]
*[[Marine Le Pen]], his opponent in 2017 and 2022.
*[[Jean-Luc Mélenchon]], the opponent of his nightmares.
*[[Classical liberalism]] - his main ideology.
*[[Libertarianism|Ultra-liberalism]] - his secondary ideology.
*[[Justin Trudeau]] - his more moderate Canadian counterpart.
*[[Enrique Peña Nieto]] - his Mexican counterpart.

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macron, Emmanuel}}
[[Category:Agnostics]]
[[Category:French politicians]]
[[Category:Government incompetence]]
[[Category:Leftists who turned right with age]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Libertarians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Secularism]]

Categories: Agnostics, French politicians, Government incompetence, Leftists who turned right with age, Liberals, Libertarians, Living people, Secularism