Balance of Power: Why Is It All Going Wrong for France's Macron?
Macron’s ratings are nearly as bad as Trump’s.
(Bloomberg) -- Emmanuel Macron’s poll ratings are plunging just a little more than three months since he stormed to the presidency promising a new beginning. In fact, at about 40 percent, they’re nearly as bad as Donald Trump’s.
Reports of a 26,000-euro makeup bill haven’t helped. Neither has his bid to overhaul France’s notoriously complex labor laws, which his predecessor, Francois Hollande, says may end up asking workers for “useless sacrifices.”
Macron has responded with a European diplomatic blitz and a pledge to start addressing voters directly. And he offered a glimpse of another Macron this week when he dropped his sometimes prim presidential style and adopted a campaign-like tone to insist France can be reformed.
Ultimately, he still has time -- and a huge parliamentary majority -- on his side. But next week's launch of his controversial labor plans may well show whether the Macron presidency is just suffering from teething problems or something worse.
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To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael Winfrey at mwinfrey@bloomberg.net, Caroline Alexander Karl Maier