En Marche: has Macron brought progress?
Ten years ago on 6 April 2016, in the run-up to his first presidential campaign, Emmanuel Macron founded the En Marche movement, which now operates as a political party under the name Renaissance. Its aim was to overcome the right-left polarisation in France's political landscape and give the country a new dynamic. Commentators evaluate its success.
None of his promises have been fulfilled
The President, whose second term ends in 2027, has failed to deliver on his key priorities, Le Point asserts:
“A movement aimed 'ending stagnation'. Stagnation? Isn't that what has defined the country since 2024? Back then, this ambitious man promised to wipe out the far right. Who has the largest group in the National Assembly now? He wanted to bridge the divides, 'neither right nor left', and thus reconcile his fellow citizens for the sake of effective governance. But has French politics ever been more polarised than it is today?”
Catastrophic legacy
Macronism has failed on multiple levels, comments Politis editor-in-chief Pierre Jacquemain:
“The technocratic brand of politics embodied by successive governments since 2017 believed that it could govern without conflict. Instead what it has done first and foremost is to disarm democratic debate, leaving the public sphere more vulnerable to the far right and simplistic narratives. Internationally, France has failed: diplomatic setbacks, an inability to defend its values, the absence of a strategic vision. … So a simple, yet almost dizzying question remains: what is the Macronism legacy, apart from the void it has itself created?”
Achievements must be acknowledged
Macron has brought France forward, stresses Paul Ackermann, France correspondent for Le Temps:
“Even if Macron has often displayed a kind of Jupiter-like blindness, many of his achievements are undeniable. The country's employment rate has improved. ... And France still has clout, even if Europe and the international community are giving it a hard time. ... He is a leader, moreover, who manages not to look completely ridiculous in a world plunged into utter chaos. Lately, Macron has fared relatively well on the international stage (the only area where he still wields influence). A comeback that is also gradually becoming apparent in the polls.”