Emmanuel Macron or the curse of charisma
Written shortly before the fall of François Bayrou's government on September 8, this editorial in "Der Spiegel" highlighted the irresponsibility of the President of the Republic. If France is in crisis, it is partly because Macronism has not embodied the promised new era and has, on the contrary, subjected the country to the "self-destructive method" of a politician with an oversized ego.
The hopes that accompanied Emmanuel Macron's rise to power could not have been higher. A little political angel, educated and endearing, did he not have the potential to profoundly change France, and Europe with it? Didn't the youngest president in the country's history possess a unique talent, that of triggering a revolution of a decidedly new kind: an uprising from the center that would not only sweep away an inert political caste, but also put an end to the old opposition between left and right, a magician who would know how to use political seduction to the benefit of democracy?
In May 2017, Macron's election pulverized the established parties, the Socialists and the conservative Republicans. The new president promised to create something new: a movement that would transcend himself and offer new foundations for the French political system.
Yet, this Monday [September 8], when François Bayrou, Macron's Prime Minister, [engaged] his government's responsibility before the Assembly, the malaise of the Fifth Republic [was] once again perceptible to all. This vote of confidence, one more step in the drift of France, which is becoming ungovernable.
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Courrier International
