Macron presented himself to Fr people last night as a safe pair of hands rather than the impatient white-collar revolutionary of 2017. In 2h TV i/view, he refused (just) to declare himself a candidate next Apr, but painted himself as a wiser & more cautious man than 5 yrs ago 1/
The interview on TF1 - Fr most watched TV channel - was clearly aimed at chunk of Fr electorate exhausted by Covid pandemic & does not want to see the country turned upside down again next year. He evidently regards the pandemic as a potential vote-winner, rather than a threat 2/
Apologising for remarks which infuriated people early in his mandate – such as making a distinction between people who were “successful” and those who were “nothing” - Macron said that he had learned to govern with more “indulgence and kindness” 3/
Asked whether he would run for a second term, Macron said he would not be able to make difficult decisions on Covid pandemic if he was a “candidate like all the others”. “I need to allow this decision to mature inside myself before I can give a sincere and definite reply.” 4/
Macron’s opponents are furious he was given such an indulgent pre-declaration iv (although past Presidents have invoked same right). The TV body which balances candidates’ speaking time said it cd be “charged” to Macron’s “account” when he declares (as he will) in next few weeks
The President was in chatty rather than lecturing and hectoring mode. He offered an optimistic view of France’s’ future to contrast with the miserabalism of his opponents. “I can say that I believe deeply in this country,” he said. “The next decade will be our decade.” 6/
He admitted his 2017 reform programme has been only partially completed. (He blamed Covid once again.) But he said Fr was already reaping benefits of his tax & unemployment-law changes in form of booming foreign investment, job creation & lowest rate of unemployment in 15yrs 7/
Non-candidate Macron attacked two of his opponents without naming them. He dismissed far right Zemmour’s suggestion that Islam itself, not radical Islam, was a mortal threat to France. “How can you tell millions of our fellow citizens that THEY are the problem?” he asked 8/
He also dismissed a pledge by the centre right candidate Valérie Pécresse that she would cut 150,000 state jobs if elected. “Cut who?” Macron said. “You have to say who? Police officers? Soldiers? Nurses? Magistrates?” 9/
Macron evidently believes that he has to shore up the left hand of his centrist base if he wants to preserve his current lead in the polls – on 24-25% - for the first round of the election on 10 April. “I was never a President of the rich (as some claimed)” he said 10/
“I’m not for the law of the jungle. I’m for encouraging creativity but also protecting the weakest. That’s the sign of a great country.”Overall message: “You may not think I’m perfect but do you really want to plunge into the unknown again after 2 years of health crisis?” ENDS
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