Rising concern among French government officials and @EmmanuelMacron associates that the French president has been lost at sea since Summer. 1/8
“Unable to make a decision”, “absent-minded,” “lack of purpose” and even “depressed” are words often heard #Macron 2/8
Officials say that in the last months, he has seemed “shell-shocked by the bodyguard scandal” [young Elysee aide Benalla caught moonlighting as anti-demonstration enforcer] #Macron 3/8
And they’re preoccupied that it took the French prez two weeks to do a government reshuffle “so minor it should have taken two hours.” #Macron 4/8
Meanwhile, conservative PM Edouard Philippe looks rock steady in comparison, which will deepen the natural rivalry between the two men at the top of French political system. #Macron 5/8
Officials are also concerned that Macron’s tendency to rely on a very tight circle of close junior aides (aka the Nursery) is worsening. “The inner circle is shrinking and there’s still no adult in the room to tell him when he f---s up” #Macron 6/8
“He blames us, thinks he’s unpopular because we have explained his policies badly,” says an official. “And he doesn’t understand why even some of his core center-left supporters are disappointed in him.” #Macron 7/8
Heightened concern now that Macron is fast-forwarding toward major trouncing of his party at European election next Spring in spite of promoting himself as last rampart against the Orban-Salvini far-right axis. #Macron 8/8
.... And (as if to illustrate previous thread), now for something uplifting: Macron compares the current situation to Europe in the 1930s abonnes.lemonde.fr/emmanuel-macro…
