French President Emmanuel Macron laid out an ambitious slate of reforms aimed at revitalizing his presidency and innovating French society, as he shifts his political platform to the right to fend off challenges from the far-right.
Speaking at the Élysée Palace in a wide-ranging press conference—his first in over a year—Macron vowed to tackle longstanding taboos around immigration, education, the economy and even infertility in order to strengthen unity and prosperity in France at a time of crisis.
Education Reforms: School Uniforms and National Anthem to Instill Republican Values
Macron announced several controversial education reforms focused on restoring “Republican values”, including:
- Making school uniforms compulsory in all primary and secondary schools to erase visible differences between students
- Requiring all schools to play national anthem daily to encourage patriotism
- Banning cellphones in schools for under 15s to limit harmful screen time
- Creating a new “civic service” for high school graduates focused on national unity
He stated that today’s youth lack a sense of civic duty and framing reforms around “emancipation” rather than austerity.
“We need an electroshock,” Macron proclaimed. “We need to make the young generation love the Republic again.”
His comments echoed a growing conservative movement in France aiming to reinforce Republican ideals in schools as a bulwark against Islamist extremism. However, left-wing critics argued the measures infringe on civil liberties.
The planned reforms, which would be implemented by 2027, perhaps represent Macron’s boldest attempt yet to coopt issues from the nationalist right.
Economic Agenda Avoids Controversy Despite Slowdown
While offering few details, Macron touted pro-business reforms to make France more competitive globally and kickstart growth as the country grapples with high inflation and a looming recession.
He promised to cut taxes and pare back regulations to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, in keeping with his original 2017 platform. Macron also called for opening up protected professions to foreign competition and making unemployment benefits contingent on job training.
However, his economic plan mostly avoided tough questions around budget cuts and pension reform—a clear attempt to dodge controversy.
France’s large state sector and rigid labor laws have long muted the effects of Macron’s pro-market policies. And his failure to deliver on an unpopular plan to raise the retirement age eroded his credibility among business leaders eager for fiscal discipline.
Still, financial markets welcomed the optimistic tone around energizing the French economy. Stocks in major French companies like LVMH and Airbus were up in early trading.
| Company | Opening Price | Current Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| LVMH | €822.50 | €843.00 | +2.5% |
| Airbus | €117.62 | €121.85 | +3.6% |
Whether Macron can translate positive market sentiment into concrete economic progress remains uncertain, especially as domestic pushback mounts. Ongoing strikes over a controversial pension overhaul are already hampering key sectors like transportation.
And critics accused him of downplaying budget realities instead of reckoning with painful reforms needed to keep state finances sustainable.
Rightward Shift Aims to Blunt Far-Right Challenge
Macron’s policy announcements reflect a noticeable rightward shift to appeal to conservative voters, as he girds for a fierce reelection battle next year against resurgent nationalist rival Marine Le Pen.
After initially campaigning as a centrist liberal willing to break political taboos, Macron has recalibrated to champion traditional French values in areas like security, culture and immigration with an eye toward the nationalist electorate.
For example, he recently pushed a controversial bill to embed the fight against “Islamist separatism” into laws separating church and state.
“Macron marks the death of centrism and the re-emergence of ideological politics,” said analyst François Heisbourg.
While provoking backlash from progressives, this pivot could bolster Macron by denying oxygen to Le Pen, who continues attacking Macron as out-of-touch elite ignoring rising anti-immigration sentiment.
Indeed, recent polls showed his support rebounding as Le Pen dropped 5 points due to her ties to sanctioned Russian banks over Ukraine.
Still, Macron risks alienating liberal and Muslim supporters if he moves too far to the right. And France’s shattered political landscape means the election remains highly unpredictable.
Other Eye-Catching Proposals: Tackling Infertility and Healthcare Access
Beyond his headline education and economic proposals, Macron rattled off a slew of other initiatives ranging from the headline-grabbing to obscure:
- Pledging €1 billion to research causes of mysterious drop in fertility amongst French couples
- Removing barriers to medical licensing to allow more foreign doctors to practice in underserved rural areas
- Investing in domestic production of medicines and green technologies
- Creating special Maghreb cultural institute to deepen economic ties with North Africa
- More funding for military procurement and cyberdefense
While the scope is dizzying, Macron faces doubts over his ability to successfully implement such an expansive reform plan.
Critics pointed to his mixed track record passing ambitious overhauls around issues like transportation and healthcare. And the initiatives barely address the economic woes dragging down his approval ratings.
Still, the breadth of policy announcements suggests Macron remains undaunted in exerting bold leadership across French society—and unafraid to court controversy in pursuit of transformational change.
Whether French voters warm to his new conservative vision for France will become evident in 20 months at the ballot box. But for now, Macron appears determined to set an aggressive reform agenda for his second term.
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