The clock is ticking for Emmanuel Macron. He has under two years of his presidential mandate to carry out his programme, much of which has been in suspended animation since before even Covid. In reality, it is much less than two years if one subtracts campaigning for the presidentials in May-June 2022, or even the regional and departmental elections in March 2021.
With a forelock tipped to Napoleon, the media are calling it his ‘500 days’, or more cerebrally In Search of Lost Time. Never in the history of the 5th Republic has one of its eight presidents spent so much time crisis managing. With two thirds of his mandate gone and half of that spent fire-fighting (yellow-vests, pension strikes, coronavirus) time is his most precious commodity.
Add to that Macron’s opinion poll rating that stays stubbornly below 40 per cent, second round municipal elections this weekend, where Macron’s En Marche party will score badly, and a prime minister – not of Macron’s party – with a poll rating of 54 per cent who is increasingly perceived as a rival.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in