The sunset of France and the young president's concerns
TEHRAN - Emmanuel Macron, French President, is going through hard times! The wide-spread public protests has almost paralyzed the country and created a special situation. Nearly 283,000 people were estimated to have taken part in more than 2,000 protests at roundabouts and on major motorways and thoroughfares across France.
It's reported that 227 people were injured and 117 detained, with 73 then taken into police custody. The demonstrations were the result of a backlash against higher fuel prices, and echo complaints about a perceived squeeze in spending power and mounting dissatisfaction with Macron, who some view as out of touch with ordinary people. Protestors shouted "Macron, resign".
Some of the demonstrators sported slogans such as "give us back our purchasing power" on the back of the yellow high-visibility vests, which have come to symbolize the movement. Meanwhile, trade and labor unions in France have expressed their opposition to the policies of Emanuel Macron. It's to be noted that Macron's popularity among French citizens has fallen sharply, to about 25%. This is a catastrophe for the French President and his associates, a catastrophe that could result in the radical rights entry to the parliament and even the Elysées Palace.
Bloomberg accordingly reported that according to a poll by Ifop for the Journal du Dimanche weekly, Emmanuel Macron’s popularity has dropped to its lowest level since the French president took office 18 months ago." Macron’s rating dropped four points in November from a month ago, to 25, while his Prime Minister Edouard Philippe’s fell 7 points to 34, pollster Ifop said in a release. The number showing dissatisfaction with Macron climbed to 73 in November from 70 a month earlier, Ifop also said."
Only 25 percent of those questioned in an Ifop poll between Nov. 9 and 17 said they were satisfied with Macron, down from 29 percent in October, according to the survey.
Inside France, many believe that the movement formed against the president of the country is ambiguous, and it is not exactly clear that which political group or party the protesters belong to. However, some analysts have noted that the role of the French National Front and the Far-Right extremists can't be ignored in shaping and sustaining theses demonstration.
In recent days, all the country's opposition parties tried to attribute this movement to themselves, but it seems that people from different classes have participated in the rally. The pensioners, workers, low-income groups, and even students' dissatisfaction with Emmanuel Macron's policies has created a dire situation for the French president. In such a situation, opportunities for radical right movement have been created within the French community.
It's well remembered that in the presidential elections of 2017 in France, the two traditional parties, the Conservative Party and the Socialist Party, couldn't reach the final round of the electoral campaign, and Emmanuel Macron was appointed as an independent nominee, and Marin Le Pen as the president of the French National Rally Party, for the final round of the competition.
At that time, all the traditional French parties announced their support for Macron, only because they wished to prevent Le Pen from entering the Elysee Palace. Eventually, Macron could win the competition with almost 64 percent of the vote, and defeating Le Pen, he became one of the youngest politicians in Europe. Macron promised to improve the country's economy with his reforms.
The French president also sought to lead the European economy. However, after a year and a half, Macron failed to be a determining player in the European Union and the Eurozone, with the tensions raised inside his country. It seems that the same faith of Hollande and Sarkozy is waiting for Macron this time, and we shall soon witness the even more decreasing popularity of French inexperienced president.
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