September 04, 2017
Macron: Still the Answer for France?
From the west side of the Atlantic, France may appear to be experiencing a time of political calm. While President Donald Trump feeds news outlets a constant stream of staffing changes and political crises, President Emmanuel Macron offers relatively infrequent opportunities for breaking news. Stories on Macron rarely examine the inner workings of his administration, instead often highlighting flashy PR moments, like when he impersonates James Bond or welcomes celebrities like Rihanna to Paris. However, this disparity in news coverage is deceiving. Although France lacks the conspicuous chaos that characterizes the White House, cracks in Macron’s shiny political exterior could be beginning to emerge. His short time in office has been characterized by public disagreements with his officials and popular backlash to his proposed policies, leaving Macron doubling down on his cabinet to salvage his public image and preserve his vision of the presidency. Macron entered office with a vision for a “Jupiterian” presidency, which exists above petty political squabbles, but it seems he has grossly underestimated the inherently conflictual nature of democracy.
Read the full op-ed in The National Interest.
More from CNAS
-
Prospects for Ukraine and a Look Ahead to Ankara
Podcast
The past month has featured a series of major transatlantic gatherings that together tell an important story about where the alliance is headed. At the NATO Foreign Ministers ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Getting the Brits Ready to Fight
Podcast
On June 22, United Kingdom (UK) prime minister Keir Starmer announced that he would resign as leader of the Labour Party and leave the premiership. Starmer had faced mounting ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Jun 19, ’26 Washington Roundtable
Podcast
On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, f...
By Jim Townsend
-
Brussels Sprouts Live: Four Ambassadors Reimagine the Transatlantic Relationship
Podcast
Today's episode comes from the CNAS Annual Conference held last week in Washington, D.C. The theme of this year's conference was “New Rules,” and nowhere is that more evident ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor
