Emmanuel Macron's lucky star is not yet extinguished

A Look at Current Events – Nicolas Jutzet

Emmanuel Macron's lucky star has not yet been extinguished. From the launch of his movement, some saw him as a shooting star, a media bubble destined to burst. So far, these prophets of doom have been proven wrong, as they have been far too busy preserving their privileges to pay much attention to what is being felt on the ground. A need for change. Emmanuel Macron had everything going for him: packed meeting rooms with an overexcited atmosphere, the relative indulgence of a press under the spell of the brilliant young man from Amiens, and a remarkable popular enthusiasm with meetings of marchers all over France.

Things have hit a bit of a snag in recent days, particularly following his trip to Algeria. He was supposed to come and cement his «presidential» stature, but instead he has reignited some old demons from French history—a history with which a segment of the population has a relationship that is complicated, to say the least. Emmanuel Macron was right in his assessment—colonization is tantamount to a crime against humanity—but politically, it’s a mistake to state this, especially now. He runs the risk of having his remarks taken out of context; as a result, no one noticed that he also highlighted the positive consequences of colonization. It’s also like throwing a lifeline to a drowning Fillon. This misstep is all the more damaging because it contradicts one of the approaches that most convinced me in the message of the former Minister of the Economy, Industry, and Digital Affairs: you don’t bring people together through boos, jeers, and stigmatization. Yet, by bringing the subject back to the table, he is reopening the wounds of many people—those of the Harkis, the Pied-Noirs, French citizens of Algerian origin, and dual nationals.

Add to this the ignorant controversies surrounding his «absence of a program», which amounts to intellectual dishonesty given that his vision is already accompanied by a series of quantifiable measures, and you explain an initial fall in the polls. This enthusiasm is forcing Emmanuel Macron to promise the release of «his program» in early March, with a detailed budget framework (the only element he really lacks!). At that point, we'll be slipping into a period which, like the primaries, is bad for democracy. Everyone, like an auctioneer, will be defending their little catalog of measures, dangling the illusion of the State's ability to solve the problems of the French. The belief that a providential man will be able to save France, through a frenzy of laws and decrees unveiled in advance, reduces the role of the President to that of an executor. France, and even more so the V^th Republic are not designed to be run by mere managers, but by men with a strong vision. General de Gaules, Mitterrand yesterday, Macron today.

This is why François Bayrou's offer of support, long convinced of the messianic dimension of his approach, demonstrates that the profound revolution, far more ideological than economic, led by Emmanuel Macron is right. One by one, the obstacles standing in his way have been broken down. There are still some, but the man seems to have been born under a lucky star. He's the man to beat Marine Le Pen in the second round. And he will. The banker will be king.

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