A Critical Week Awaits Macron

By Mustapha Tossa

The French government is before a critical week as violent confrontations between protesters and police continue and the political opposition criticizes President Emmanuel Macron more harshly.

Next Tuesday will mark the 10th day of the national protest organized by trade unions, and the government fears from the emergence of a massive mobilization, thus indicating the continuous vociferous opposition to the pension reform bill.

The French are expected to take to the streets in tremendous numbers because of the statements made by President Macron at his press conference held in Brussels in connection with the EU Summit. Those statements were regarded by the political opposition as a step to add fuel to the fire, while everyone was waiting for President Macron to adopt initiatives that defuse the crisis and ease the social tension.

What is clear today is that President Macron and his government, led by Élisabeth Borne, have engaged in a long-term tug-of-war with trade unions and the political opposition. The first side is betting that the social anger will die down and people will accept the new situation, whereas the second side wants to corner Macron to force him to abandon this bill or at least revise its most controversial articles.

Thus, a critical week awaits Macron and his government as social situations intensify and the president’s popularity declines domestically and France’s popularity and credibility erode overseas, with the British King cancelling his visit and pictures of the Capital’s streets full of garbage spreading across the world.

Macron adopted a strategy based on the fact that he was right, so he resorted to the exceptional article 49.3, which prevented MPs from debating and voting, in the name of defending the country’s supreme interests. He also denounced groups that resort to violence and vandalism, and threaten institutions, saying that he does not recognize any negligence or failure in managing this crisis.

In the wake of that, the political opposition rose as one man and directed a barrage of criticism against President Macron, accusing him of despising and ignoring it. The political opposition also promised it would engage in political initiatives that could complicate the remainder of President Macron’s term.

So far, the ball is still in the Constitutional Council’s court, which can oppose some of the requirements of this controversial bill and guarantee President Macron an honorable way out of this crisis.

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