France

Abstract

COVID-19 emerged as a new crisis on top of several others which have dogged the Emmanuel Macron presidency. Government had to face this unprecedented crisis despite significant unpopularity. Media and government seemed at first flabbergasted by the unexpected pandemic. The executive needed time to find a coherent crisis communication strategy as the numbers of cases and deaths mounted and measures had to be introduced to halt the spread. Throughout, it has also had to deal with numerous criticisms from the medical profession largely reported by media regarding the government’s handling of the pandemic. Doctors appeared as the new heroes in the crisis giving lessons to government and expertise to the public opinion on the virus. More and more, the communication of President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe diverged. Macron tried to unite the French population using a war vocabulary. But it is finally Prime Minister Philippe who benefitted from the crisis most, emerging more precise in his announcements and more serious in his action. © 2021 selection and editorial matter, Darren Lilleker, Ioana A. Coman, Milos Gregor and Edoardo Novelli.