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French President Emmanuel Macron has been touted as the international leader defending multilateralism and globalism against the rising forces of nationalism – but he faces a darker political outlook and a plummeting polls.
The frisky French ran for president in 2017 on a platform of pragmatic centrism, mixed with a hint of globalism in the midst of a wave of nationalism sweeping across the continent. His comfortable victory against the nationalist Marine Le Pen was greeted with relief and joy by the people concerned by the populist wave.
He was quickly hailed as an unofficial leader of Europe and even of the world. As recently as April, Politico called it "the new leader of the free world". Macron seemed to embrace this mantle when he came to the United States and delivered a fiery speech before Congress, warning against nationalism and calling for an opening on multilateralism and international cooperation. .
"We will not let the rampaging work of extreme nationalism shake a world full of hope for greater prosperity," he told Congress.
Last month he was at the UN General Assembly and blasted the same nationalist forces – which was widely perceived as a blow to President Trump while he criticized a unilateralist approach that involves "a a certain anarchy in which each pursues his own interests ".
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"I will never stop defending the principle of sovereignty, even in the face of a certain nationalism, which we see today, brandishing sovereignty as a means of attacking others," he said. hours after Trump's speech to the assembly.
But at home, things seem extremely fragile. His approval ratings plunged as low as 29 percent. Last month, Interior Minister Gérard Collomb resigned after attacking the Macron government for "lack of humility".
Part of Macron's unpopularity can be attributed to her greater reputation as a narcissist obsessed with power and image. A number of politically sensitive viral moments – including the fact that he recently told an unemployed gardener to look harder for work – have hardened this image.
"Less than 30%, according to the latest polls, have a favorable opinion of him and half of those who disapprove of him are very disapproving," Ezra Suleiman, professor of politics at Princeton University told Fox News. "Those who have soured him find him arrogant, didactic and do not care about their problems."
It has also struggled to master immigration and to try to solve the current European migration crisis without alienating the support of the left to its larger agenda. The French parliament approved in August a bill increasing the time of immobilization of migrants and reducing waiting times for asylum. Some leftwing legislators opposed it, calling it inhumane while others, right, said it was not going far enough to cope with the migration crisis.
Macron's tougher stance on unions, which he tried to contain, also provoked anger from the French left as part of his efforts to revive the French economy late. He recently announced that the next budget would include a new tax cut, which is expected to bring up to 26 billion euros ($ 30 billion) to workers and employers, under the umbrella of. 39, an effort to increase the number of such approvals and the economy.
"The left considers it too close to the interests of large companies in France at the expense of ordinary French workers. On the right, it is a globalist politician who defends little the borders of France and French interests. He is perceived as someone who does not understand the concerns of the French at a time of upheaval and upheaval, "said Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom's Heritage Foundation, told Fox News.
Gardiner also said that Macron's projection as a leader of the free world was "ridiculous" about his own unpopularity at home.
"He is a president who can not rule his own people, let alone rule the world. Macron is someone who gives great speeches unprecedented on the international scene. The reality is that France remains a country in decline and Macron is the symbol, "he said.
But Suleiman said Macron is widely seen as a strong leader for France and has maintained a dialogue with President Trump. While Trump and Macron met in April at a meeting full of smiles, smiles and general affection, Macron also criticized nationalism, criticized the departure of the US from the United States. Iran 's 2015 nuclear agreement and defended the speech agreement at the congress.
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"He remains a strong leader, a convinced European and ready to lead against members of the European Union who want to divide or attack the European project (Hungarian, Austrian, Italian and Polish leaders)," said Suleiman. "He is considered the leader against those who are working to undermine the European Union."
Macron dispelled his concerns about the lack of surveys. In a recent interview with Bloomberg News, he noted that since he did not have a mid-term election like the US, he did not have to worry about the number of polls yet.
"I have a big advantage, I do not have mid-term elections, so I'm not motivated by polls," Macron said. "I have to reform the country deeply. We will keep exactly the same rhythm. "
