In Macron’s France, the personal will be political

Subject

Macron's government.

Significance

Where once President Emmanuel Macron was a simply a private individual -- albeit one with an exceptional career trajectory -- on May 7, he became the newly elected president and on June 18, the leader of a recently rebranded party, Republic On The Move (LRM), that won an absolute majority in the second round of the legislative elections. Along the way, he has expanded into a noun, 'la Macronisation' and even a verb, 'macroniser', both of which refer to a style of leadership that augurs something new for France.

Impacts

• Macron’s use of presidential symbols and his foreign policy style, while important, will only work if he is strong at home.
• Macron is attuned to a shift within the electorate, which is no longer so willing to tolerate politicians’ corruption.
• To win voters’ and unions’ support for his labour reforms, Macron’s government must gain and keep their trust.