Fascinating as usual. But I wonder: aren't you David suggesting that Macron tilt to your personal perspective (which I obviously share) -- moderate left. (Of course you and I have been right about everything all along for decades.). On a serious note, however, France under Macron has thus far resisted the authoritarian erosions that is plaguing some western democracies. In my book he deserves much credit for that.
That’s a fair point, and perhaps I should have given him more credit for this. But if the end product is the same… (and yes, we two are obviously right about everything )
Excellent as usual, but I don't think the fault is entirely Macron's. One of the paradoxes of French political culture is that much of the public has learned to expect the state to effectively do everything and then the head of state is blamed for everything that people don't like, like raising the retirement age. There seems to be very little sense of collective responsibility - it's someone else's job. Has the public loved any president since de Gaulle? In all my years of going to France I was struck by how presidents on the right and those on the left ended up being disliked and positively disdained in equal measure. Yes, part of that is comparison with Bonaparte and de Gaulle but part of it has to do with l'état providence.....
I believe that Macron also misunderstood his own political mandate in 17. A large part of his initial appeal was political reform. The exasperation with mainstream center left and center right parties as corrupt and ineffective and the belief that popular / populist activism could empower citizens over politicians. And he initially did that by winning a huge majority in the Assembly of a large number of non-professional politicians. He staffed Elysée similarly. But the political reform bill (proportional representation, ending cumulative mandates, ethical restrictions on outside income) had to be scuttled because the experienced legislators in his own party and government blocked it. And he seems at that point to have simply believed he was elected on an economic platform rather than a political one. (I feel to an extent Joe Biden made the same mistake in 2021.)
In contrast a certain "disruptor" now in power has not made that mistake. His economic program is inchoate but its consistent with his political program.
Reading your own thoughts in someone else’s words is a wonder I never get tired of. So refreshingly accurate. Unfortunately, the chances for student Macron to drop the script and forget about what his teachers have taught him are very thin. Merci, Professeur Bell.
One thing that has long bothered me: what is the full meaning in French—denotation and connotation—of "certain" in De Gaulle's claim to have long held a certain idea of France?
Fascinating as usual. But I wonder: aren't you David suggesting that Macron tilt to your personal perspective (which I obviously share) -- moderate left. (Of course you and I have been right about everything all along for decades.). On a serious note, however, France under Macron has thus far resisted the authoritarian erosions that is plaguing some western democracies. In my book he deserves much credit for that.
That’s a fair point, and perhaps I should have given him more credit for this. But if the end product is the same… (and yes, we two are obviously right about everything )
Excellent as usual, but I don't think the fault is entirely Macron's. One of the paradoxes of French political culture is that much of the public has learned to expect the state to effectively do everything and then the head of state is blamed for everything that people don't like, like raising the retirement age. There seems to be very little sense of collective responsibility - it's someone else's job. Has the public loved any president since de Gaulle? In all my years of going to France I was struck by how presidents on the right and those on the left ended up being disliked and positively disdained in equal measure. Yes, part of that is comparison with Bonaparte and de Gaulle but part of it has to do with l'état providence.....
Agreed! But some presidents make it worse. Mitterrand wasn’t liked like De Gaulle, but managed not to be loathed, either.
I believe that Macron also misunderstood his own political mandate in 17. A large part of his initial appeal was political reform. The exasperation with mainstream center left and center right parties as corrupt and ineffective and the belief that popular / populist activism could empower citizens over politicians. And he initially did that by winning a huge majority in the Assembly of a large number of non-professional politicians. He staffed Elysée similarly. But the political reform bill (proportional representation, ending cumulative mandates, ethical restrictions on outside income) had to be scuttled because the experienced legislators in his own party and government blocked it. And he seems at that point to have simply believed he was elected on an economic platform rather than a political one. (I feel to an extent Joe Biden made the same mistake in 2021.)
In contrast a certain "disruptor" now in power has not made that mistake. His economic program is inchoate but its consistent with his political program.
Reading your own thoughts in someone else’s words is a wonder I never get tired of. So refreshingly accurate. Unfortunately, the chances for student Macron to drop the script and forget about what his teachers have taught him are very thin. Merci, Professeur Bell.
Thank you!
One thing that has long bothered me: what is the full meaning in French—denotation and connotation—of "certain" in De Gaulle's claim to have long held a certain idea of France?
What would a Le Pen government look like, since that may not be an impossible outcome?