Macron’s first 100 days sees falling popularity, tough reforms and government controversy

Record ID: 906182

  • Title: Macron’s first 100 days sees falling popularity, tough reforms and government controversy
  • Date: 11th August 2017
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (FILE - MAY 25, 2017) (REUTERS FOR AGENCY POOL) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, AND MACRON POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS TRUMP SHAKING HANDS WITH MACRON, SAYING (English): "Congratulations, great job."
  • Embargoed: 25th August 2017 12:23
  • Keywords: Elysee 100 days Versailles Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron Brigitte Macron 2024 Olympics Vladimir Putin France
  • Location: PARIS & VERSAILLES, FRANCE / TAORMINA, ITALY / BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
  • City: PARIS & VERSAILLES, FRANCE / TAORMINA, ITALY / BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0056TPPVEV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: French President Emmanuel Macron heads into the summer break faced with falling popularity ratings after tough debates in parliament over labour reform and a public ethics law, a standoff with the military and cuts to housing assistance.
    Centrist Macron, France's youngest leader since Napoleon, was elected in May on a promise to usher in sweeping economic and social reforms to haul France out of its economic malaise.
    For strategy consultant and lecturer at Sciences Po university Stephane Rozes, if Macron has achieved anything in his first 100 days it is putting France back on the map.
    "It is still too early to make an objective assessment of the first steps of Macron's presidency on the international stage. But we can make two observations: the first, for our foreign friends, the media, commentators, France is back," he said.
    The young president has been on a roll meeting the main European leaders to boost reforms to the EU and euro zone, as well as hosting world leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin in the attempt of finding a solution to the war in Syria.
    Earlier on in his five-year presidential term, Macron drew praise at home and from the international community for his strong backing of the Paris climate agreement where he is seen speaking English in a video, a rarity for French presidents, and recycling Trump's campaign slogan after he announced the U.S.'s intention to pull out of the global deal.
    French citizens interviewed by Reuters TV on the streets of Paris remained mostly positive in their impressions of Macron and his government so far, except for retiree France Richard who pointed to the lack of experience of some members of parliament belonging to Macron's majority party of Republic On The Move.
    "Things get announced, then they are contradicted, then you know, I think the new members of parliament (who mostly make up Macron's parliamentary majority) aren't exactly on par but it's not their fault, they are young and inexperienced," she said.
    On the jobs reform front, Macron's government scored a victory last week when it won the Senate's backing to deregulate the labour market that will now go back to company bosses and trade unions before being written into law.
    Parliament's lower house also approved a new public ethics bill, over-ruling Senate objections to a proposal scrapping a constituency fund for lawmakers. The bill is designed to clean up French politics.
    But a reduction in housing aid, controversy over the timing of promised tax breaks for tenants, and allegations of financial scandal against members of his government that led to some early ministerial resignations have tainted Macron's first months in the Elysee.
    The resignation of his armed forces chief after a row between the two men over defence budget cuts was another early blow, and the standoff was seen by Macron's critics as evidence of an over-controlling nature.
    An Ifop poll published on Friday (August 11) showed 36 percent of voters held a favourable view of the 39-year-old president, compared to his predecessor Francois Hollande who at the same moment in 2012 held 46 percent of favourable votes.
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