Is Macron the persuader reaching the end of the road?

Abstract

Abstract:For Emmanuel Macron it is natural that a French President should have the powers of an English Tudor monarch, whether in determining the way a faith is celebrated (Islam) or how to deal with a plague (Covid). His fundamental characteristics as a political operator are self-belief and consistency: he has appeared flexible because of his understanding of how to manoeuvre and adapt in the jungle of modern French politics, but has always pursued a single vision. He believes in a version of neoliberalism in which the state is rolled back when it comes to protections for workers, welfare support and regulating the economy, but not in its role in determining everything. Macron was a key Hollande advisor at the time of his U-turn to neoliberalism. He has been named 'the Great Manipulator'. As French citizens have become increasingly disenchanted with his performance, Macron's political machine, Le République En Marche!, has crumbled. The signs are that he will now tack further to the populist right in seeking support for another term as economic liberaliser in chief.